The Lake House
by nox-alatus
Summary: A/U. Rin is an author who needs a vacation. When the chance to stay in a mansion arises, she jumps for it. Writer's block, an angry sorceress and a sexy demon lord are only the beginning of her troubles. Rated M for language and lemons.
1. Vacation Time

**A/N:** Hello all, welcome to The Lake House! This is my first Inuyasha fic, and of course, I picked my favorite pair, Sesshy and Rin. I hope you enjoy it! Reviewers receive warm-from-the-oven cookies. Constructive criticism is always appreciated, and flamers will be used to bake the aforementioned cookies.

STANDARD DISCLAIMER: I do not own Inuyasha, or any related characters. These writings are for my own personal enjoyment and I do not make any sort of income from them. I just enjoy playing with these characters and making them do dirty things to each other.

This fic is rated M for some language and future citrusy-goodness.

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><p>Rin stared at the computer monitor, reading the highlighted blue text for the hundredth time. One slim finger hovered over the delete key, but she couldn't bear to do it. This was the worst part of writing.<p>

_This is crap. Get rid of it. No one ever has to know such drivel came out of your head._

It happened at least five or six times per book; she would sit down at the computer and reread the last few pages to get back into the story, and then see hundreds of words that were so bad it made her head hurt. It never stopped happening, and it never got any easier. All she had to do was convince herself to push that little black button and-

The cell phone next to her laptop suddenly lit up and skittered across the desk, blaring a familiar song. Rin jumped and her finger pressed the key. As she answered the phone, her lips twisted in a wry smile.

"What's up, Kagome?"

"Not much," said the perky voice on the other end of the line. "You sound cranky. Still stuck?"

Sighing, Rin leaned back and spun idly in her chair, clicking her pen. "Yeah. This book is killing me. You just helped me delete a load of craptastic prose, though, so I guess I should say thanks."

"That bad, huh?"

Rin loved to write. As far back as she could remember she had always carried a notebook and pens with her. Any little thing could be the inspiration for a story. A bird sitting on the shoulder of a statue, a group of students studying in the park, an elderly couple on the train… everything was fodder for the ideas that constantly swirled in her mind. Her foster mother, a kindly woman named Kaede, had encouraged her in this hobby, which she had eventually made into a career.

At this moment, she hated it.

"Mmhmm. Right now, I'm trying to make a vampire that isn't all emo-gloom and teen angst. It isn't working out too well, especially since that's exactly what they asked for."

"Emo vampires? Please."

"My thoughts exactly. Ever since the demons came out, that's all the publishers want. Vampire this, werewolf that, demons galore. It's enough to drive a girl crazy, let me tell you."

Demons had come out of the proverbial closet a bit less than ten years ago. In the age of cell phone cameras and the viral internet machine, it was only a matter of time until something got posted that wasn't meant to be seen. Some young demon had made a video of himself changing into his true form and tried to send it to someone, but had inadvertently typed the wrong email. The person who received it posted the video and within days, the world was aware of the non-humans walking amongst them.

Most people tended to have one of two reactions when it came to demons: utter terror and hatred, leading to the formation of the Human Society, devoted to getting rid of the demons walking among them, or total fascination. Ones who were fascinated nearly worshipped the demons, surrounding themselves with as many of them as possible.

Rin fell in the middle of the two. Having gone to an integrated high school, she saw the demons as people who just happened to have superpowers. She wasn't afraid of them, but she was wary. The primal instincts of a demon, when provoked, had serious consequences for whoever was on the receiving end. She wasn't enthralled with them either, but she couldn't deny the gut-wrenching allure that some possessed.

Kagome, Rin's best friend, was the same. Her husband, Inuyasha, was half-demon. She loved her demon with all of her heart, but had no problem putting him in his place if he was acting more animal than human.

Part of Rin couldn't help but be jealous of her friend. Inuyasha was completely enamored with his wife, bending over backwards to make her happy. Kagome never took advantage of this, though, and she did the same for him. Rin wanted something like that, something real, something worth working for. A string of failed relationships had jaded her to a certain degree, but deep down, she had a feeling she would always be a hopeless romantic.

_Right. Emphasis on 'hopeless'._

Kagome said something and Rin snapped out of her reverie. "What was that? I zoned for a minute."

"I said I know what would make you feel better. Inuyasha and I are heading up to his family's lake house for a week. Why don't you come with us?"

Rin scoffed. "Pass. I love you, Kag, but I'm not going on some romantic getaway with you guys."

"No, silly," she said, laughing. "It's some teamwork-bonding thing for the company. Trust me, there's plenty of room up there, and I know nobody would mind."

"I have to get this book done."

"And? You work on a computer. Bring it with you. And just think, a houseful of demons might give you a bunch of new ideas, and if you're feeling all anti-social, like I know you will, there's tons of space to go and be alone. And the scenery is beyond gorgeous."

Rin sighed and rubbed the bridge of her nose. Kagome could convince a mountain to move if she set her mind to it. "You know I hate you, right?"

"I know. So, shall I call and tell them to prepare for an extra guest?"

"Well… it _would be_ nice to get out for a while."

The happy squeal had Rin holding the phone out at arm's length. "Oh, Rinny, we're going to have so much fun! You won't regret this, I promise!"

"Don't get too excited, hon. I'm bringing my laptop, and I'm probably going to be working all flippin' week."

Now it was Kagome's turn to scoff. "All work and no play makes Rin a dull girl."

"Maybe, but it means the dull girl gets paid. I don't have a sugar daddy demon husband like some people I know." It was a familiar complaint without any heat behind it.

Kagome laughed. "There's going to be quite a few available while we're up there, and they're all hotties, but there's one who is major freaking eye candy, so be sure to pack the sexy undies."

A loud "Oi!" echoed in the background. Rin could hear a quick, muffled conversation between Kagome and Inuyasha, and she distinctly heard her name a few times. A moment later, Kagome was back. "Sorry about that. I had to explain that I have no intention of doing anything to the insanely hot demons I see up there," Rin could hear growling as Kagome spoke. "Eye candy is just a term I use for… appreciation of… the… finer things. Yeah. Fine works."

Rin snorted. "I'm sure they're fine. I won't need to pack anything special, though. Did Inuyasha say it was okay?"

"Yep. We'll come pick you up Saturday morning about nine. It's a six-hour drive, so be prepared. Bring some munchies, too. And sexy undies. Oh, and a bathing suit. And a dress."

Rin's eyes widened and she dug through her desk for a legal pad to write down her packing list. "Munchies. Bathing suit. A dress? Why a dress?"

"They always have a fancy dinner once or twice. Sometimes, if there are enough couples, there's dancing. Hm," she trailed off in thought. "So, let me think. Bathing suit. Dress and heels. Munchies and a book, or whatever, for the drive. Camera. Tennis shoes, for the nature trails. Sexy undies, and I hope I don't have to tell you what those are for. And no need to bring shampoo or anything, they have all that. Other than that, bring whatever you want to wear. Some guys never get within six feet of a tie except for the fancy-schmancy meal, and others never loosen theirs."

Scribbling on the yellow paper, Rin wrote down her list. "Anything in particular for munchies?"

"Nope. I'm bringing some, too, but Inuyasha will probably decimate my stash within the first hour." Kagome didn't bother covering the mouthpiece when she spoke to the dog hanyou, who was yelling again. "Well, I wouldn't say it if it wasn't true. If I, or anyone else, ate a fraction of what you do, we'd be bigger than the car!"

She couldn't help but laugh as the couple traded play insults back and forth. Finally, Kagome shouted "Sit, boy!" The muffled boom Inuyasha's face made against the floor was so loud it almost seemed as if they were in the room with her. A stream of curses came shortly afterwards, and judging by the colorful language, the hanyou was perfectly fine.

"Anyway," Rin said before they could start at each other again. "If you two are done airing your dirty laundry in front of me, I need to do something about this scene before I completely lose it."

"Aw, honey, that was no dirty laundry. How would 'Yasha know I cared if I didn't sit him once in a-"

BOOM. Quickly followed by "God dammit, Kagome!"

Kagome laughed. "Oops! Saturday, nine a.m. Don't forget your munchies!" Rin agreed and hung up, feeling much better after their talk, hanyou interruptions included.

A vacation would be really nice right about now. Even if it was a corporate gathering, at least she'd be getting out of the apartment. She hadn't had a break in… _Geez, nearly six years. No wonder I've been burning out lately._

The last time, she and Kagome had gone on a four-day spa trip in celebration on her eighteenth birthday. Then her career had taken off, leaving her little free time. She had been a prolific writer early on, releasing several books a year. While none of them were exactly bestsellers, she made enough to live comfortably and still have enough to play around a bit. Recently, however, her pace had started to slow, and she was down to one every six months or so.

Turning back to the monitor, Rin tapped the mouse and reread the last few paragraphs. Writing on demand was a skill she still had yet to master, and it showed. Stilted phrasing, unbelievable dialogue and a mild form of writer's block had combined to make the perfect storm of bad story.

"Okay, so my hero is an angst-ridden emo vampire who goes around saying things like, 'That is highly irrational.' What is he, a blood-sucking robot? Ugh." Rin fell forward, her head making a solid _thump_ as it connected with the wooden desk. "This weekend can't possibly come soon enough."

-x-

The drive was nearly eight hours, instead of the six Kagome had told her. Apparently, Inuyasha forgot to account for any sort of traffic, which he loudly complained of for most of the journey. Kagome was right in one instance, though; the munchies stash was gone almost immediately. Luckily, Rin had secreted a handful of granola bars in her laptop bag, so no one starved.

It was five o'clock by the time Inuyasha pulled the SUV on to a winding gravel driveway. Rin bit her lip and started gathering her things from the spread on the seat next to her. Two books, an MP3 player, a notebook, and her shoes were quickly put back in their proper places, the shoes sliding on last. Pulling the pen out of her messy bun, she tried to fix the cascade of dark hair without the help of a mirror.

Kagome turned around to see her nervous fidgeting. "Rin, calm down. Just be yourself, and I know everyone will love you."

Inuyasha scoffed. "I doubt it." Rin's eyes narrowed and Kagome hit him on the shoulder.

"Don't be mean!"

"I only meant that Fluffy doesn't like anybody."

"Well, you didn't have to say it like that," Kagome said, turning back to Rin. "Don't worry about Sesshomaru. He's kind of… standoffish, for lack of a better word. Don't take it personally."

"Standoffish? He's a dick."

The girls ignored him. "What about the others?"

"Izayoi and Taisho, 'Yasha's parents, are cool. The rest run the gamut, and I'll point them out when we get there."

Trees surrounded them, connecting overhead to form a green tunnel. "_When_ is the key word. This driveway has to end sometime, right?"

Just as the last word left her mouth the trees separated, revealing a house so big it classified as a bona fide mansion. The driveway widened into a large parking area filled with expensive vehicles. The mansion itself –she couldn't possibly call it a house- was done in the classic European style and looked like she imagined a manor would. _If this is the vacation home, I can't imagine what their real house is like_.

Inuyasha turned off the SUV and turned around, smiling when he saw her dropped jaw. "Don't be intimidated, Rin. It's just a house. And it actually belongs to the company."

"Yeah, but your dad owns the company."

"Feh, same difference. Now get out, dinner's waiting."

Rin joined Kagome behind the vehicle in waiting for Inuyasha to pop the hatch. When he did, they each grabbed their suitcases and made their way into the mansion. Rin couldn't help the breathless "Wow," that escaped her in the foyer. The ceiling vaulted three stories high, supported by a pair of marble columns carved with flowers and leafs.

A grand staircase curved up to the third floor, following the circular design of the room. With a foyer this impressive, Rin could barely make herself stay in the house. She had never felt this out of place before. How she would ever begin to fit in with anyone who could afford to live like this was beyond her. Kagome grabbed her hand and gave it a reassuring squeeze as Inuyasha bellowed that they were here.

"I know exactly how you feel," Kagome whispered. "I could barely manage two words the first time I met his parents and saw their home."

Several servants rushed in from a doorway to the left and took their bags up to their respective rooms. An elderly woman stayed behind and led them through the same door. Rin gawked at the living room they had entered. A sectional the big enough for an entire football team to share sat facing a floor-to-ceiling fireplace on one side and the biggest big screen she had ever seen on the other.

A dining room came next. A long, dark table with close to twenty chairs was decorated with crystal place settings. Matching bottles filled with various liquids glinted from a dry bar in the far corner. What was in one of those bottles could probably pay for Rin's rent that month.

The kitchen, a room any five-star chef would die to have, was where their group found several people sitting around the table and chatting. A delicate woman stood and hugged Inuyasha, then Kagome. As the couple made their greetings, the woman came up to Rin and clasped her hand gently.

"You must be Rin. I'm Izayoi, Inuyasha's mother."

"Thank you for having me, Izayoi. Your home is gorgeous."

If anything, the woman's already blinding smile got even brighter. "Call me Izzy, please. Come, come. Let's get you introduced."

A tall woman with her hair up in a high ponytail smiled as Rin and Izzy approached. A delicate pink dress complimented her coloring wonderfully and showed off her swelling stomach. "Rin, this is Sango. Sango, this is Rin, Inuyasha and Kagome's friend."

"Well, any friend of Kagome's is a friend of mine. If you see a man with a ponytail running around, that's my husband, Miroku. He works with all the other boys."

Rin smiled, pleased to have met someone to talk to besides Kagome. "It's nice to meet you, too. If you don't mind me asking, when are you due?"

"Three more months." When Rin's eyes widened a fraction and Sango laughed. "I know, I look like I'm about to pop. Twins."

Another woman strode up to them, this one with red hair and a large flower tucked behind her ear. "Are we discussing babies? Sango has a one-track mind nowadays. Hi, I'm Ayame." Rin took the proffered hand and said her name. "That sounds familiar… do I know you from anywhere?"

She swallowed nervously. It was inevitable this conversation would happen, and she was prepared to defend her job against anyone who thought writing romances wasn't a real career path. Prepared or not, she didn't like doing it. "I'm an author."

"Really? What have you written?"

"Oh, mostly romances. A couple stand-alone novels."

Ayame pursed her lips. Sango's brow furrowed in thought. Izzy excused herself and left the room in a rush. So quickly it was like she had never left, the older woman returned with a somewhat tattered, dog-eared paperback.

She thrust the book at Rin. "This is you!"

Rin took the battered book and grinned. It seemed like she wouldn't have to be embarrassed of her work. "Yes, it is."

Sango looked at the book and her jaw went slack. "You're _that_ Rin Kimura? I love your books!"

Ayame squealed and the three other people in the room turned in surprise. Curious, the two women and the man made their way over. The man wrapped an arm around Ayame's waist. Long brown hair fell over his eyes as he bent to kiss her forehead. "Why the noise?"

"You know those books I read all the time?"

"The sex books? Yeah, why?" Rin blushed a furious red at that. Men just didn't get it.

Ayame pointedly looked at Rin, the man following her gaze. "She wrote them." His eyes widened a second before a wide smile split his face.

"I'm Koga," he said, holding his hand out. "And you are the woman who inspired my wife to new heights in certain _activities_. I owe you thanks."

_Or maybe they do._ Rin shook his hand, and stumbled out a response. "Uh, you're welcome?"

The other two women were Kagura, a striking woman with a feather hair clip and a stiff expression, and Kanna, a tiny lady with a hip-length fall of snow white hair. Izzy allowed the women to ask her a few more questions before Rin was hustled off to her bedroom.

As they ascended the stairs, Izzy told her about the house. It had fourteen bedrooms, not including the guest house where the staff was staying for the week. There was a pool, a Jacuzzi, a sauna, a gym, a theatre, a boat, and several miles of nature trails. Rin was in awe by the time the list of amenities was finished. She could write a book a month and never be able to afford a fraction of this luxury.

"Here we are," Izzy said as she pushed open a door. "I'll leave you be, for now. Dinner is in-" She glanced at the clock, "an hour. What you have on is fine. See you in a bit."

The room was just as opulent as the rest of the house. Her suitcase and garment bag were laying on the king canopy bed next to her laptop bag. A large window showed the lake and the mountains beyond, trees climbing the slopes. Two overstuffed chairs and a coffee table sat in front of an ornate fireplace, and the entire room was done in tones of pale blue and silver. It was the most gorgeous thing she had ever seen.

Izzy left the door cracked when she walked away and she could hear the faint sounds of conversation and of people settling in their rooms. Rin took a deep breath, centering herself. Methodically, she unpacked, setting her electronics and writing things aside as she filled the closet. She tucked the now empty suitcase under the bed and moved over to the small desk area.

When the writing area was set up, she decided to head down to the dining room. It was still a bit early, but she wanted to finish meeting and greeting tonight. Pulling the door closed behind her, she exited the room and walked down the hallway. Turning a corner, she ran right into a solid wall of muscle.

Strong arms steadied her as she lost her balance. Unblinking golden eyes stared down at her when she looked up. As soon as her feet were under her again, the hands let go. She barely kept her jaw from dropping at the sight of him.

He was tall, easily over six feet, and all lean muscle. Waist-length silver hair would have made anyone else seem feminine, but it only exaggerated his strong jaw and pointed chin. Suddenly her room was the second most gorgeous thing she had ever seen. His eyebrow raised and she remembered their collision.

"I'm sorry."

"Hm. Who are you?"

"Rin Kimura. Kagome's friend. You must be Sesshomaru." He nodded slightly, a section of hair falling over one shoulder.

"Why are you here?"

She raised an eyebrow at his brusque tone. "Inuyasha and Kagome invited me."

"Hm."

When no other conversation was forthcoming, Rin turned sideways and sidled past him. "Well, again, sorry for running into you this way. See you at dinner." It took a supreme amount of effort to not look back at him, but she managed, even though she could feel his gaze on her back the entire way.


	2. Dinner Conversation

**A/N:** Thank you to everyone who took the time to review! You all rock, and your kinds words mean the world to me! I really hope this story lives up to your expectations.

This chapter takes place from Sesshomaru's POV. He is ridiculously fun to work with, so I think I'll be switching between Rin and Fluffy POV's on a regular basis. And FYI, I love Kagura. She is one of my favorite characters in the series and it actually pains me to use her like this, but she wouldn't shut up and made me do it.

As always, I don't own Inuyasha, LKT Technologies (which I didn't know was a real company until I already wrote it, and I'm too lazy to think of another name :P), or anything else referenced in this story, except for the plot itself.

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><p>It took a supreme amount of effort for Sesshomaru to stay where he was instead of pinning Rin against the wall and burying his nose in the crook of her neck. She smelled divine, a cherry-vanilla blend that made him want to lick her all over. He watched the line of her back sway as she walked to the stairs, the subtle flare of her hips moving in a hypnotic rhythm. When she descended the steps and disappeared from his sight, he continued to his room.<p>

This was not where he wanted to be for a week. He hated these corporate-bonding travesties. It was only an excuse for the board members to come up here and get paid to play for a week. Seeing as he was vice president of the entire company, he was required to attend. At least Izayoi had the courtesy to put his servant Jaken in the guest house with the other employees. The toad demon was a great asset to him, but had an annoying tendency to be underfoot _constantly_.

Being a demon who valued his solitude, Sesshomaru had a habit of putting the fear of Kami into the little toad, which worked for short periods of time but even then Jaken was a constant presence, chattering away in his screechy voice. Over the centuries the imp's complaining had turned into background noise, but it was no less annoying. If he planned on being attached to Sesshomaru's side this entire week, Jaken had another thing coming.

It wasn't as if he would have come here on his own anyway. If it hadn't been made mandatory by his father he would be at home by himself instead of surrounded by a bunch of his underlings and mere humans. At least he only had to attend a few scheduled events and would have the rest of the week to himself. Now if he could only manage to avoid Jaken, as well, the week wouldn't be a total waste of his precious time.

After changing into something a bit more casual than he usually wore –a blatant attempt to prevent people from telling him to 'loosen up, already'- Sesshomaru started to make his way to the dining room when a cloud of scent assaulted his sensitive nose. Following the aroma to the door across from his own, he cursed inwardly.

It figured. The girl who had run face-first into his chest was staying across the hall from him. If he hadn't already been inundated with her scent, he would have noticed it the first time he had walked past the room. Part of him was tempted to blame Izayoi for the arrangement, but the rational part knew better. As big as the house was, there were only so many places to put people that weren't completely out of the way or on the third floor which, to be honest, was a really long walk after a busy day.

Following the fading scent of cherry and vanilla, Sesshomaru found himself in the dining room almost before he realized how quickly he had walked. Seventeen pairs of eyes watched him as he walked to a seat. He nodded at a butler when asked if he was prepared to eat and found himself sitting between Hojo and Onigumo, across from Kagura. He should have come down sooner so he could have picked a different chair.

Onigumo wasn't a bad guy. He was a ruthless corporate raider, which normally would have endeared him to Sesshomaru, except that he worked for the competing technology manufacturer. He made a mental note to remind Taisho to avoid any shop talk around Kikyo's husband.

Hojo was the newest member of the board at Inu Innovations, having taken Totosai's place when he retired. Hojo had a huge learning curve ahead of him if he wanted to fill that old bastard's shoes, even as senile as he was the last year. The younger man was proving to be the token 'nice guy' and would be eaten alive by his new coworkers if he didn't wise up soon.

Kagura, however, was a different story. She was a crafty bitch and took a sort of perverse pride in that name. She was wildly passionate, be it in love or hate, and had an ungodly amount of focus. If she set her sights on something, she was going to get it come hell or high water and woe to anyone who got in her way. Two years ago, she decided she wanted Sesshomaru. She hadn't succeeded yet.

The animated conversations of his dinner companions faded as Taisho stood and tapped his wine glass. "Ladies and gentlemen, I want to welcome you all to the lake house for our eleventh annual corporate getaway. We have a couple first-timers here, so I'll just run down the table and make sure we're all introduced before I let you get back to your meals.

"To my right is my son, Inuyasha, Junior VP. Kagome, my wonderful daughter-in-law. Sango and Miroku, board members. Kikyo, board member, and her husband, Onigumo, of LKT Technologies. Past him is my eldest son, Sesshomaru, VP. Hojo, board member. Shippo, my personal assistant, is at the far end. Bankotsu, board member. Kagura, board member. Then Rin, an author and Kagome's dearest friend. Kanna, board member, and Kohaku, her husband. Koga, board member, and Ayame, his wife. And sitting to my left is my lovely wife, Izzy."

Taisho clapped his hands together. "Okay, now that we're all acquainted, here are a few ground rules for the vacation. One, no business talk. Generalities about your position are okay, but no specifics. If you wonder if it's okay to talk about something, it probably isn't.

"Two, you have free run of the house and grounds, with two caveats. If you decide to go hiking on the trails, take someone with you. There are animals around here, and we don't want to take any chances. As for the boat, please refrain from taking it out yourself. We have several smaller craft available if you need.

"And third, as much as it pains me that I need explain this to a room full of adults, we have had this problem in the past. The majority of us are mated. That does not mean that couples are permitted to _express their feelings_ in public areas." Inuyasha, Koga and Kohaku snickered. Sesshomaru just rolled his eyes. "We all use these areas, and I really don't want to have them disinfected so I feel comfortable sitting on the couch again. Or theatre seats. Or using the pool table. And for the love of everything holy, don't do it in the pool or Jacuzzi. That's just wrong when we all have to share."

Kagome turned bright red when the Jacuzzi was mentioned, and seeing her like that almost made Sesshomaru understand what drew his half-brother to a human. Almost. Delicate human women weren't really to his taste. They were so fragile, their lives so short that it wasn't worth being with one for more than a few days. Demons lived a very long time and not only a mating, but a full bonding was required for a human to live past their mortal lifetime. No woman was worth the required sacrifice.

Rin smiled at Kagome's blush and Sesshomaru's attention turned to her. Her hair was almost as long as his, but it was a brown so dark it was nearly black. Her eyes were the same color, a bottomless pool in which a man could lose himself. She probably didn't realize a pen was tucked behind her ear.

Taisho looked at Inuyasha and raised a brow. "If you feel the urge, please do it behind closed doors. Preferably behind _your own_ doors," he amended when the hanyou opened his mouth. The second eye roll was forcibly contained when the younger males exchanged knowing looks. Pups_._

"One last thing and then I'll let you finish your meal. Rin."

The girl's eyed widened almost imperceptibly. Sesshomaru wouldn't have caught the movement if he hadn't been watching her closely. "Yes?"

"We have our first scheduled activity at one o'clock tomorrow. You are more than welcome to join us, if you would like. If not, that's fine as well. Whatever you prefer." She thanked him and Taisho nodded his head once. "All right, then. I am glad you could all make it this year, and I'm sure it will be as much fun as always. Eat up; we have a long day tomorrow."

Everyone turned back to their plates and conversations started up again. Sesshomaru leveled a glare at Kagura when she touched her foot to his under the table and she returned it with a wide smile. "So, Sesshy, how have you been?"

"Refrain from using that infernal nickname. And since I saw you just yesterday in the board room, one could assume I am in the same state as I was then, which was 'fine'."

Her smile faltered slightly. "When are you going to admit to yourself that we are meant to be? That I am the one to bear your pups?" Onigumo lifted a brow and Rin cocked her head slightly towards him, both of them trying to eavesdrop unobtrusively and failing. The other board members were used to her aggressive tactics and ignored them.

"When Jaken grows taller than me, sprouts wings, and flies me to China. Until then, I'm afraid I must remain in denial." Kagura's face turned red as Onigumo barked a laugh and Rin snorted into her wineglass.

"You know, Sesshomaru, sometimes it's just better to say yes and get it over with. Am I right, Koga?" The startled wolf demon turned his head toward Onigumo, having not heard his question.

"Um, yes?" Several people laughed as Rin looked on in confusion.

Kagura explained it to her. "Ayame kept insisting they were meant to be together, and Koga kept running. Eventually she caught up with him and dragged him –literally- kicking and screaming to the altar. And it was the best thing that ever happened to him." She looked at Sesshomaru with the last sentence and his demon growled in irritation.

"Oh, that's… hm."

"Yes, that's most people's reaction when they hear it," said Onigumo. "It did work out for the best, though. Anyway, Rin, you're an author?"

Her face lit up and a pink flush crept up her cheeks. "Yes."

"Anything I might have read?"

Kagura smirked. "I doubt it. Romances."

"Ah, I see. I mostly stick to thrillers and mysteries, myself. Do you enjoy it?"

Rin smiled widely. "Oh, yes. To be honest, I could never see myself doing anything else."

"Oh, what a shame you never thought of getting a real career." The conversation hit a lull and the entire table descended into silence as Kagura's statement landed like a bombshell.

Rin took a deep breath and forced a polite smile. "It most certainly is a real career. I write every day and make quite the comfortable living. How is that not a real career?"

"Yes, you work every day and I'm sure don't even bother showering or changing out of your pajamas most of the time. And if you have to work every day, you probably aren't doing such a great job. I'm guessing your 'comfortable living' includes a broken-down apartment and a car as old as you are."

Sesshomaru could see the muscles in Rin's jaw quiver as she clenched her teeth. "Apparently producing six to eight salable books a year since I was eighteen doesn't count since I don't wear a business suit and work in a corner office in some skyscraper or make seven figures. It may not be glamorous, but I love what I do, Kagura, and I wouldn't change it for anything. And, unlike some people I've noticed," She pointedly looked at Sesshomaru, then back to Kagura, whose face was flaming, "I know when I'm not wanted."

She drained the wineglass and stood. "Thank you all for a lovely welcome. If you will excuse me, I need some fresh air." Without waiting for a response, Rin stalked into the kitchen. A moment later, the outside door closed and everyone looked at Kagura.

Kagome sneered at the sorceress as she stood to follow her friend. "Real classy. Excuse me."

"That was completely uncalled for, Kagura. Why on earth would you do something like that to somebody you just met?" Her head whipped toward Sesshomaru and his golden gaze met her red one. For some reason, his demon was screaming for him to defend the girl and kill Kagura.

"What do you care? You don't care about anyone, and I didn't exactly see you defending her."

"I may not like dealing with people, but I assure you, I know my manners. You seem to need tutoring in the most basic of social graces. Also, I felt no need to leap to anyone's defense, least of all hers. She seemed to handle herself well enough."

"Kagura," Taisho spoke up. "Are you quite done making a scene? I would like to be able to finish the meal in peace."

Her mumbled, "Yes, sir," barely carried to Sesshomaru but Taisho nodded, satisfied. The rest of the meal was conducted quietly, the few conversations kept between neighbors. Nobody spoke to Kagura, who fumed silently, occasionally risking a glance at Sesshomaru. He saw these looks, but ignored her.

It was completely beyond him how someone could be that spiteful towards someone they had just met. Granted, he was far from the most sociable creature at the best of times, but the majority of the time he was merely terse, not rude. Usually when he was purposefully mean it was toward Jaken, and the imp had been with him for centuries. After so long, there was no doubt the toad knew when he was being annoying, but he always persisted until Sesshomaru threw a rock or kicked him.

He leaned back, crossing his legs and gently swirling his wine, listening to the ebb and flow of polite conversation around him. A glance out the large picture window revealed a spot of bright green in the quickly darkening yard. Stifling a long-suffering sigh, Sesshomaru excused himself and stepped outside.

Jaken stood on the back patio, a walking staff supporting his slight weight. Thankfully, Jaken had left the Staff of Two Heads back home and this one was non-lethal. It was hard enough convincing the flight crew to allow two demons to carry a shortened bo staff aboard, let alone one that screamed and breathed fire. He crossed his arms –a human gesture he had picked up over the years- and just looked at the imp.

"Lord Sesshomaru! I tried to enter the house to join you at the meal, but these filthy humans stopped me! If only you had permitted me to bring the Staff of Two Heads, I would have been at your side as is my place and-"

"Jaken."

"Yes, my lord?"

"Did I not tell you I would have no need of your services this evening?"

"Yes, my lord, but-"

"And did I not also tell you I would speak with you come morning?"

"Yes, my lord, but-"

"Are you, or are you not, my servant, Jaken?"

"I am, my lord. I bound my life to yours on the day-"

"And servants are bound to follow their master's commands, are they not?"

"Yes, my lord."

"Then what could possibly bring you to believe that you were not violating multiple direct orders by attempting to join me at dinner?"

The imp stammered and threw himself down at his master's feet, shaking in terror and absolutely convinced for the thousandth time that Sesshomaru was going to strike him dead. "My lord, please forgive your humble servant. My place is at your side, as it has been for hundreds of years, and I thought that since your lord father's servant ate with you that-"

"Jaken."

"Y- Yes, my lord?"

"Be quiet."

The imp regained his feet and wiped moisture away from his eyes. "Yes, my lord. I shall remain silent as you have so instructed me. I shall never disobey you again and-"

"Jaken."

"Shutting up now, my lord."

"You are my servant and have been so for centuries. Shippo is an employee of Inu Innovations. This is a company trip. That is why he is inside and you are not."

"I- I see, my lord."

"Good. I will see you in the morning, Jaken."

"Good evening, my lord." The toad slipped off into the darkness towards the guest house. Sesshomaru breathed a heavy sigh when he was out of hearing range. The imp certainly knew exactly how to push all of his buttons. Whether it was pure ignorance or carefully calculated to get a rise out of him, he still didn't know.

Taking a meandering path through the backyard, he stared up at the stars. A sudden urge to fly in either form struck him. Tonight was the type of night he had always preferred for soaring: a full moon, a cloudless sky, a slight chill to the air but still warm enough to be comfortable. He hesitated out of pure habit. Having lived in a large city for many, many years, it was nearly ingrained in him by now to think before he transformed or took off. Most humans didn't cope very well with others flying above them, nor did they like gigantic dogs at any time.

In the second he hesitated, a slight breeze sent him the fragrance of cherry and vanilla. Faint voices were carried to him, two females speaking angrily.


	3. By the Moon and Stars

**A/N:** A small warning for this chapter: Sesshomaru may be slightly OOC according to the anime/manga, but I believe he is totally in character for this storyline. Keep in mind that he has basically been forced to become more social. Over the years I would like to think that, even though he is still a loner, Fluffy has learned better how to cope with people. Agree or disagree? Any thoughts, comments, or questions? This chapter also has a distinct **citrus-flavor**. Be warned.

To all who took the time to review: I love you! Again, constructive criticism is always appreciated.

Obligatory Disclaimer: I do not own Inuyasha, Audi, Madonna, or anything else referenced in this story, except for the plot itself. My only payment is in the form of reviews, so start paying up, people! :D

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><p>"That- that… witch! How dare she criticize me for not being a suit! No offense to your in-laws, Kagome." Rin paced across a small stretch of grass, Kagome sitting a small distance away.<p>

"None taken. That was so rude I can barely wrap my head around it."

Rin picked up a stray pinecone and threw it as hard as she could. "I wish that was her head!" Kagome stayed quiet. "What kind of person tells someone, within minutes of meeting them for the very first time, that their chosen career is crap? And did you see how she was throwing herself at Sesshomaru? That was just sad!"

"From what Inuyasha says, she does it all the time."

"How pathetic can one woman be? I mean, if you tell him and he says no, drop it! Don't become some crazy stalker lady! Weirdo." Rin was so angry she was shaking. "I swear to God, if she says anything even remotely like that to me again, I'm going to punch her in the face!"

Kagome's brow furrowed and she stood, brushing off her pants. "Uh, are you okay? I haven't seen you like this since your neighbor trashed your car."

That had been a bad day. At her last apartment, Rin had just put a hefty down payment on a brand-new Audi convertible. It only had three miles on the gauge when she drove it off the lot and she was in love immediately. She parked it in front of her building and ran into her apartment to grab something –by now, she couldn't even remember what was so important- and when she came out, she saw that her neighbor's teenager had plowed into the sports car with an ugly old pickup. Insurance covered everything, but she saw red for nearly three days.

Rin stopped pacing and pinched the bridge of her nose. It would do no good to get all worked up or else she'd never sleep. "I'll be fine. I just… I need to vent or else I'll fucking explode on her. I'll be good tomorrow, promise."

"I would not recommend exploding, if I were you." The two women turned towards the deep voice and Rin held back a gasp as Sesshomaru approached them. If he was beautiful in the hallway, he was drop-dead gorgeous in the moonlight. Silvery light reflected off of the silver hair, tanned skin, and an untucked white button-down. It was hard to believe he was real, as ethereal as he appeared.

Kagome stepped closer to Rin. "Sesshomaru, what are you doing out here?"

"Walking. Enjoying the moon. I believe Inuyasha is looking for you." He laid on the ground and closed his eyes, basking in the light.

"I don't have to go back; he'll understand if you need me," Kagome said, turning to Rin.

She rolled her eyes, even though she doubted Kagome could see it. "Go. I'll be fine. Thanks for listening."

They hugged, and then Kagome started back to the house. Rin looked down at Sesshomaru, who hadn't moved. His arms were loosely lying on his stomach, one knee pulled up so the foot was flat on the ground. She sat near him, close enough to touch the hair that fanned out towards her but far enough away as to not invade his personal space. "So, why wouldn't you recommend it?"

One golden eye cracked open and looked at her. "She would crush you. Wind sorceresses are rare, but very powerful."

"She's a sorceress? I just thought she was a bitch."

"She is that, too." His head turned towards her and the other eye opened to meet her gaze. "You truly did not know she was not fully human?"

Rin shook her head, feeling stupid. "No. I figured her eyes were contacts or something. I should have known better."

"Hm." He turned back to the sky and closed his eyes.

_He isn't all that standoffish,_ she thought, _He came out to talk to me._ Even if they didn't end up speaking very much, she could certainly enjoy the view.

Sesshomaru was, without a doubt, one of the finest male specimens Rin had ever laid her eyes on. The shirt lay flat against his stomach, a sliver of tan skin peeking through in between it and a pair of faded jeans that hugged every asset perfectly. His nostrils flared, and she felt a second of shame before coming to her senses. He might be a dog demon, but she didn't think he could smell the proof of her attraction that slightly dampened her panties.

Mentally chiding herself, she stretched out next to him. This far from a city all the stars were visible. Suddenly she felt very small in the grand scheme of things. Here they were, two people lying on a chunk of rock flying through space at who-knows-how-many miles an hour, and there were an infinite number of other rocks doing the exact same thing at that exact same moment.

"Sesshomaru?"

"Hm?"

"Do you ever get the feeling that life has no meaning?"

He propped up on his elbows and looked at her. "What do you mean?"

Still staring into the sky, she told him her thoughts of the past few moments. "I mean, if all that is out there," Rin waved an arm, "all those places, possibly full of other beings, all doing this same thing at this same moment, and we'll never know, what is the meaning of it all? Is there one? Or are we just some sort of cosmic dust mote, living and dying in the blink of an eye?"

Silence greeted her questions, not that she expected much else. Sesshomaru, for all that could be said of him, truly seemed to be a man of few words. When she turned to see if he was still there, he was laying on his side facing her, head propped on one hand. "Are you always so philosophical after you threaten to explode?"

Rin couldn't help herself; she burst into laughter at his deadpan tone. The corner of his mouth lifted a fraction and she had the feeling this was his version of laughing along with her. "Sometimes. I have a temper, but I don't blow up often. When I do, though… yeah." She turned toward Sesshomaru, mimicking his position. "Anyway, except for Kagome, were all the others demons?"

"No. Taisho and I are dogs and Inuyasha is hanyou, but you already knew that. Koga and Ayame are wolves. Shippo is kitsune, Kanna is a mirror demon, and Kagura is wind. Everyone else is human."

"Really? I could have sworn Onigumo was." The man that sat across from her at the table had jet black eyes that seemed to absorb the light around him. Terrible scars covered most of his face, making him look like something out of a horror movie. He seemed pleasant enough, despite outer appearances.

He shook his head a fraction. "No. He has some blood in him from several generations back, but nothing we were ever able to prove conclusively."

"Hm," she said, borrowing his response. "So, did she say anything else about me after I left?"

"She was taken to task for her lack of manners. Whether or not she has learned a lesson is not for me to say."

His non-answer was answer enough. Oh, well. She knew she might not get along with everyone here, and Kagome had warned her of it. Even Inuyasha had said something to her, but that was about his half-brother, not Kagura.

Rin flopped back to the ground and Sesshomaru followed suit, several inches closer than he was before. The tips of his hair brushed her arm and she shivered at the sensation. Even though they were lying in the middle of an open field, the darkness felt strangely intimate, the two of them close together underneath the cloudless sky, silver light raining down on them.

Several moments passed before Rin broke the silence. "What's the plan for tomorrow?"

"I assume you mean the scheduled events."

"Yeah. I'm just curious what they are."

His shoulder shifted in an approximation of a shrug. "I don't know. I have nothing to do with this."

"Oh, really? I thought that since you're second-in-charge, you know…"

"No. If it was up to me, I wouldn't be here at all."

Rin sat up, wrapping her arms around her knees. "Why's that?"

"I enjoy being by myself."

"Always?"

"Mm. For several centuries now." Rin's eyes widened. At her silence, Sesshomaru opened his eyes and met her gaze. "Does my age surprise you?"

"Not really. I mean, you're older than I thought, but- oh, I didn't mean- oh…" Burying her face in her arms, Rin laughed nervously. "It doesn't matter what I meant. I think I'm more surprised about someone spending centuries by themselves. Don't you ever get lonely?" A thick chunk of hair fell over her shoulder and when she moved to push it back, she found Sesshomaru toying with the ends of the strands. His eyes met hers and she was shocked to see every year he had claimed shining back at her.

"Sometimes." He stood and stretched before offering a hand to help her up. Rin took it and was pulled almost into his chest again. He inhaled deeply, his eyes never leaving hers. "Come, we should return."

He released her hand and assumed an appropriate distance between them. Rin was dismayed to see the mask of complete and utter indifference slip back into place as they approached the house. He held the door for her as they went inside. Nobody was in the kitchen, for which Rin was grateful. She never could have gotten the courage to do what she did next if there had been.

She kissed him.

It was just a quick peck, a chaste press of lips, but she felt it down to her toes. She then backed up a few paces, smiling inwardly at his expression of disbelief. Both eyebrows were raised, eyes wide, lips parted. "Thank you for sitting with me." He nodded, the mask slipping back into place.

Rin left the kitchen calmly, but nearly ran up the steps to her room. When she was safely behind the closed door, she allowed herself the dopey grin her face was demanding. Her lips tasted faintly of the wine from dinner and she shivered, remembering the subtle way his body had tensed when she put her hands on his chest for balance.

She was still off balance as the evening replayed itself over in her mind's eye. Looking at it objectively, there was more romance in a fumbling middle school relationship, but the undercurrent of sexual tension was undeniable. Rin knew he thought she hadn't noticed him watching her before she stormed off from dinner. Then, under the stars, when he reached out to touch her hair… _Oh, I feel like a virgin, touched for the very first time._

Forcing herself out of a Madonna song, Rin's eyes flitted across her laptop. If possible, her already dopey grin got even wider as she threw herself into the desk chair. She knew how to fix her angsty-emo vampire problem.

-x-

Sesshomaru watched Rin leave the kitchen calmly, but heard her burst into a barely contained run as soon as the door closed behind her. Part of him felt like smiling, but he beat that part into submission by sheer force of will. Nobody needed to know that he had any sort of feelings for anyone, let alone a human.

After taking a bottle of water from the fridge he went to the library, always his favorite room in the house. Now, though, he had a specific purpose. He was slightly dismayed to see his father seated in one of the overstuffed chairs, a pair of glasses perched on his nose and a book open. He looked up when Sesshomaru entered and waved him to the opposite seat.

"Son," Taisho started. "What do you think of our guest, Miss Kimura?"

**:SMART FUNNY AMAZING SMELLS GOOD WANT WANT WANT NEED NEED MATE MATE MATE—:**

_SHUT UP!_

He forced his inner demon back. There was absolutely no reason for him to give any hint of what he felt for Rin. She would be out of his life in a week, so there was no use in letting anyone know he had a slight infatuation with the girl. The great Lord Sesshomaru would never deign to involve himself with a human. He shrugged with practiced nonchalance. "She seems quite intelligent and well-spoken for a human."

Taisho nodded. "She certainly does. That being said, how is she feeling at the moment?"

"When she left me she was-" _Turned on? Turning me on? _"-feeling much better. She no longer wanted to kill Kagura."

"Yes, yes. Kagome told me. Kagura and Rin should be separated as much as possible, and I will need you to assist me in this. I'm not overly concerned about Rin acting out, but Kagura… the wind is a fickle mistress."

Sesshomaru nodded. He could not agree more. Kagura was dangerous to whoever was on her bad side. She hadn't hesitated in wheeling and dealing herself up the corporate ladder, but she had finally reached the proverbial glass ceiling. The only possible way she could go any higher would be if she was to –by some miracle- wed either Sesshomaru, who wanted nothing to do with her, or Inuyasha, who was sickeningly happy with his bonded female. Since she already had him in her sights, anything that she believed threatened her pursuit of him would be eliminated with extreme prejudice.

Taisho seemed to know what his son was thinking and agreed completely. "I was considering taking Rin under our protection. I don't know what Kagura has against the little one, but I know she never forgets anyone who she feels has slighted her, whether it is real or perceived."

Deciding to steer the conversation away from the females, Sesshomaru tried to see the cover of the book Taisho was reading. "What are you so engrossed in at this hour?"

"Oh, this?" He held it up so Sesshomaru could read the cover. He mentally cursed. Of course, he couldn't escape speaking of her. "This is one of Miss Kimura's books. Apparently she agreed to sign some for Izzy, but I don't think she realized that her entire catalogue is down here." His father gestured towards a table against one wall. Several stacks of books were piled high; some in hardback, most in paper, but all of them well-used.

One eyebrow raised and Taisho chuckled. "Apparently she wasn't exaggerating when she mentioned her prolific writing. This," he waved the book in his hand, "is one of her non-romance novels. I think the rest are being read as we speak, but I would recommend at least giving one of her books a shot. She really is quite gifted."

"I'm glad you mentioned it. I was going to read this evening, anyway." Sesshomaru seized upon the excuse his father had given him like a lifeline. He had planned on looking for one of her titles when he came in, but this saved him quite a bit of time and embarrassment.

"If you will excuse me, Father, I believe I will retire for the night. It has been a long day."

"Yes, it certainly has been, Sesshomaru. Remember, tomorrow at one o'clock, living room." Sesshomaru nodded and grabbed a random book off the stacks as he left. He was almost to his room when he heard his name float down the hall. Turning toward the sound, he waited, knowing who was about to turn the corner.

"…and then he laid down like he was planning on staying a while."

Inuyasha grunted. "Feh, he probably was just looking for-" The hanyou and his wife stopped short when they saw him calmly waiting for them.

"Inuyasha, Kagome. I trust I provide for interesting conversation."

Kagome had the grace to blush, but Inuyasha narrowed his eyes. "I don't know what game you're playing, Fluffy, but if you hurt Rin I swear I'll rip you limb from limb."

Sesshomaru bristled under the impression that he would harm the little female. His demon howled in offense. "Would you care to rephrase that, half-breed?" He could feel heat pulsing behind his eyes and knew they had turned red.

"Whoa, whoa there. Down, boys." Kagome, ever the mediator, stepped between the two of them. Subduing his demon, Sesshomaru felt his face cool and knew the imminent danger had passed. He wouldn't have wanted to destroy part of the house in a fit of pique over something his ignorant half-brother had said.

The hanyou took a bit longer to calm and only managed to do so when his wife whispered something in his ear. Whatever was said so quietly brought a different sort of flush to the man's face and Sesshomaru rolled his eyes.

The two stood facing him and silence descended. Kagome fidgeted uncomfortably, Inuyasha alternated between glaring at Sesshomaru and giving heated looks to his wife, and Sesshomaru waited, one eyebrow raised. Kagome could never stand awkward silences, so she would be the one to break it, probably with some question about the field.

Less than a minute later she spoke, exactly as he predicted. "What did you two talk about?"

"Nothing and everything at the same time. Does she make a habit of contemplating the universe and meaning of life?"

Interestingly, she smiled. "Only when she's upset. If she's still talking like that in the morning I'll be worried, but she should be better by then. She never could hold a grudge."

"She seemed ready to break most of Kagura's bones."

"Rin has a temper, but doesn't rage very often. When she does, it's definitely impressive. It burns out pretty quickly, though, and then she gets all …thinky."

"Thinky? Is that the clinical term?" Kagome smirked at him, but there was no real heat in the look. For someone with a master's degree in psychology, she had an interesting way of putting things.

Inuyasha growled. "Why do you care, Sesshomaru?"

He shrugged with one shoulder. "I would hate to see it come to physical blows. I am the only one, besides father, who can restrain Kagura if it comes to that. Speaking of which, he has a proposition for you regarding your friend."

Kagome looked at him sharply. "What sort of proposition?"

"It is not my place to say anything, especially when there may be other ears about, but if he has not approached you by dinner tomorrow, I will speak of it. Until then," he inclined his head to them, "Kagome, Inuyasha."

Sesshomaru stepped around the couple and continued to his room. He paused before his door, breathing Rin's scent deeply. The rapid click of furious typing came from her room and he had to grit his teeth to force himself in his door instead of hers. Throwing the worn paperback on the bed, Sesshomaru slowly paced the length of the room. Bringing Rin under Inu clan protection would be the best thing for her. No one would dare harm a hair on her head for fear of bringing the wrath of the dogs down on their head. And make no mistake, Sesshomaru would kill anyone who so much as looked at his female the wrong way.

_Wait… _my_ female?_ He shook his head in denial of the thought. No, she was just a friend of his half-brother's wife. Sesshomaru would keep Kagura's claws out of her for the week, then the protection would be in effect and the sorceress wouldn't rouse herself to search the female out. For all of her single-minded focus, Kagura was an inherently lazy creature, only bestirring herself when an opportunity dropped in her lap. Whether or not she orchestrated the opportunity itself was the question.

Regardless, Sesshomaru appointed himself Rin's bodyguard for the week. He had no doubt the hanyou would ridicule him mercilessly if he found out, so Sesshomaru vowed to conduct the entire affair as privately as possible.

**:IF ANY OTHER MALE LAYS A FINGER ON HER WE WILL RIP IT OFF:**

_Very true._

As much as he and his demon had disagreed today they were both in accord when it came to that, albeit for different reasons. It was obvious what his demon wanted, and he wasn't going to get it. Sesshomaru had to maintain iron control in the field to keep from mounting and marking her right then. Even at that, he couldn't help reaching out and feeling the silken strands of her hair.

**:MAAAATE:**

_SHUT UP!_

What was it about this girl that put him on edge? Nothing had riled the demon like this in over a hundred years. Back then it was someone trying to wrest the Western Lands from the Inu clan. He would expect the dog to rear its head if its territory was threatened, but this girl wasn't his property by any means. He may be a demon, but he wasn't an animal, dammit.

**:MINE:**

Apparently, the demon had claimed her already. If his stupid instincts wouldn't quit shouting, he was going to end up with a migraine. The teamwork exercises father had planned were already bound to be intolerable, with a headache he would end up killing something. _Reminder: If you have a headache, order Jaken to stay away._

Sesshomaru couldn't help but wonder if Rin would participate in any of these activities. It would be better for her if she stayed away from anything that might involve Kagura, but he had a feeling she would try to be a part of it all. Maybe he could work something out with his father that would allow either he, Inuyasha, or Kagome to be partnered with her at all times.

**:NOOOOOOOO:**

He winced as the dog howled in rage. Sesshomaru could feel his eyes burn and turn red, his fingers tense and claws emerge, his mouth open as fangs grew. If he looked in the mirror he knew he would see the hidden moon and stripe demon markings on his skin emerge, writhing and growing bigger. With a concentrated effort, he fought to regain control of his instincts.

Several long moments later, drenched in sweat, Sesshomaru was satisfied he had beaten his dog once more. He was his own master, and not even his instincts would take that from him. Shedding clothes as he walked to the shower, he cursed his nature that made every day a battle for control. Stepping under the hot spray was cathartic. Steam billowed around him, fogging the mirrors and seeming to remove him from the material world. He closed his eyes and reveled in the rhythmic tattoo of water streaming across his back. Turning, he allowed the water to stream over his face and wash away the last evidence of his struggle in the bedroom. Stray droplets clung to his lips as he backed out of the direct stream, reminding him of the girl who had kissed them earlier. She had to stand on her tiptoes to reach his mouth, and even then he found himself bending slightly so she could reach.

Her hands on his chest had lit a fire in him, one that was raging now. She had looked so lost out there in the field, looking up at the stars and contemplating the meaning of life. When her hair brushed his hand, his fingers were stroking the ends before he had made a conscious decision to do it. And her laugh, a sweeter sound he had never heard. He hadn't been making a joke, but her laughter infected him, making him smile. So little these days brought him any joy.

Seemingly on its own, one hand rubbed his chest where she had touched him and slowly worked its way down to the proof of his excitement. He knew his demon needed this, so he decided to be gracious and let it play. When the hand wrapped around his shaft and stroked, his hips bucked forward and a small sound escaped him. Allowing his eyes to close and his head to fall forward, Sesshomaru pictured Rin.

_Her eyes were slightly red from angry tears that had fallen before he arrived. She held her arms out to him and he embraced her, pressing her small body into his. He stood up, lifting her off the ground as he kissed her, the sweet scent that was uniquely Rin invading his head and taking root. She threw her head back and laughed as he swung her in a circle._

_Her legs wrapped around his hips, her center pressing intimately against the part that needed it the most. When her lips met his again he devoured her, licking and sucking and nibbling until she whimpered for more. Leaning down, he softly placed her on the ground and lowered himself over her. His deft hands worked a minor miracle and stripped her of the tight jeans she wore._

_He touched his forehead to hers as he lined up with her opening. Their eyes met as he thrust in and-_

With a strangled moan, Sesshomaru's eyes flew open as he spent his seed against the wall of the shower. His entire body vibrated with the force of his release and his demon stretched, almost purring in sated bliss.

_There. Satisfied?_

**:NEVER:**


	4. How NOT to Play the Piano

**A/N:** A big thank you goes out to everyone who took the time to read and review! As a present, here is some **lemonish-goodness** for you. Yes, it gets an '-ish'. You'll see when you get there. Also, instead of the daily updates like the first few chapters, I think I'm going to slow down to one or two a week... more if the characters take over they they did at first.

I-HATE-WRITING-THESE-BUT-I'M-TOO-POOR-TO-BE-SUED DISCLAIMER: I don't own Inuyasha, Sesshomaru, a pencil skirt, or a piano. I do, however, own several icepacks. Oh yeah, and the plot, too. But mostly the icepacks.

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><p>Rin shook her hand, fighting off the impending cramps. When she had agreed to sign Izzy's books, she didn't realize that the woman had a copy of every book Rin had written. It was quite flattering to know someone had read her books to the degree that some were falling apart as she signed them.<p>

Her usual signature was just her name, with special requests only if they were asked. For Izzy though, she felt she had to personalize each one. It was still a pretty standard operation, though. Grab a book, flip to the title page, and write "_To Izzy: Thanks for all your love and support! Rin Kimura_", then close it, grab the next. She was on her twelfth dedication when she decided to continue later or tomorrow. She was going to be here all week, there was no reason for her to do it all in one shot. She was just setting the last book aside when one dropped on the stack to her left.

She hadn't heard anyone behind her so she whipped around, fully prepared to stab whoever had scared the pants off her. Sesshomaru looked down and raised one brow. Her cheeks heated and she turned back to the table to make sure the stacks were well separated, risking a glance at the book he had returned. _Oh, man, why that one?_

Her steamiest romance laid askew on top of the neat pile, the pages still separated from a recent reading. It nearly crossed the line into pornography and her publishers wasn't thrilled with it, but her readers ate it up. Closing her eyes, she took a deep breath before turning around. He stood in the same position as before, only one step closer.

He was as gorgeous now as he was the day before, this time in a tight black t-shirt and a pair of boots. Another pair of faded jeans hugged him perfectly and from the way he posed, he knew it. _It should be illegal to be that hot and wear clothes._

"Did you sleep well, Rin?" A shiver ran down her spine at the slight way he drew out her name.

"I wrote until almost three. I would probably be zombified right now if I didn't just drink almost an entire pot of coffee." She gestured to the steaming cup next to her. "And you? Did you sleep well?"

His gaze flicked to the book and back. "No. And I believe you know why, Miss Kimura." He leaned down and put his hands on the table behind her, effectively caging her. "You are a very talented woman."

A throat cleared loudly from the entrance to the library. Sesshomaru's head turned so fast that Rin wouldn't be surprised if he gave himself whiplash. Kagura stood in the doorway, her arms crossed, with an expression of pure hatred directed at Rin. "Taisho says we're ready to get started, if you two aren't _busy_." She spun on a heel and stalked off, her pencil skirt nearly ripping with the length of her stride.

Sesshomaru backed away and Rin saw red fade from the corners of his eyes. When he seemed calm, she stood and grabbed her coffee. "Well, now she really hates me."

"She will not touch you." His voice was much deeper than usual, which was saying something, and had a distinctly raspy undertone. Yep, he was pissed.

Rin touched his hand softly and then retreated out of his personal zone. "It'll be fine. She wouldn't mess with me here." He nodded curtly and she walked out of the room, knowing he was right behind her.

The living room was packed full of people. Some were sprawled out on the massive sofa, others were seated on chairs from the dining room, and some had made themselves comfortable on the plush carpet. Bankotsu, a human with a thick braid of jet black hair trailing down his back, made room on the couch for Rin. Sesshomaru just looked at Shippo, who scooted over immediately, leaving room for him on her other side.

Kagura was directly opposite Rin and glaring for all she was worth. Her red lips twisted in fury and she opened her mouth to speak just as Taisho entered the room, clapping to get everyone's attention.

"Good afternoon, everyone! I trust you all enjoyed your first night here. Today, we're going to start off lightly with a few get-to-know-you exercises, then maybe a game or two. Sango has elected to not participate in any of the physical games, due to her pregnancy. I want to remind everybody that while participation is mandatory for all Inu Innovations employees, the rest of you are not required to join in if you don't want to. Okay?"

A chorus of 'yes' sounded and he smiled. "All right. For this first exercise, Izzy is going to pass out some index cards. Each person will receive a stack with one name per card. Eighteen people, eighteen cards. On each card, I want you to write a question you want to ask that person. Make them questions that might start a discussion. No 'what's your favorite color?' or anything like that. Things like, 'what do you think of…', 'what is your opinion on…', 'why do you…', etcetera. I'll give you a few minutes to write and then we'll put the cards in a hat and draw them randomly."

Several minutes passed as everyone scrawled their questions. Kagura kept looking at Rin with a self-satisfied smirk and a chill ran up her spine. This was going to be bad.

Taisho stood, a pillowcase in his hands. "Everyone done?" No one said anything, and he started around the room. Shippo snickered when Taisho stopped in front of him. "That's some 'hat' there, boss man."

"Yeah? Well you go find me a hat that can hold and mix around three-hundred-some index cards. Smartass."

Several people chuckled, Rin included. When Taisho was back in the front, he held the top of the pillowcase closed and shook it, narrowing his eyes at Shippo, who smiled innocently. "Okay, here we go. The first question is… Ayame," The wolf sat up straight and adjusted her flower. "Why didn't you take Koga's no for an answer?"

She glared at her husband and he put up his hands in a peace gesture. "Not me, I swear."

"No wasn't an option. He promised himself to me when we were pups, and I always collect. And I haven't heard him complain since I got my claws in him."

"All right," Taisho said. "Any questions?" When no one said anything, he pulled out the next card. "Sango, what will you name your babies?"

The game continued on for quite some time. Most of the cards had funny, lighthearted questions, but some were a bit more serious. Inuyasha, for example, had to explain how being a hanyou affected his worldview. All in all, Rin enjoyed it. The majority of her questions were about her career and her decision to accompany Kagome this week.

Then the bombshell hit, courtesy of Kagura.

"Rin," Taisho started, then faltered as he read the card. "This is completely inappropriate. Next question is-"

"No." Kagura's voice cut through the room like a knife. "I want to hear her answer."

"Kagura, this is supposed to be a game. That is not appropriate to ask now, or ever, for that matter."

"Fine," she said, leveling a glare at Rin, "I'll ask her myself. Rin, are you planning on sleeping your way to the top of this company, just like you did with your agent and publisher?"

There was a beat of stunned silence before the room exploded in fury. Sesshomaru bellowed in rage and leapt for Kagura. Taisho, showing his strength, plowed into Sesshomaru and took him to the floor, inadvertently knocking Inuyasha off course as well, since he had jumped for his brother at the same time. Once Inuyasha was relatively calm and Sesshomaru was restrained, Kikyo asked what everyone wanted to know.

"What has she done that deserves such treatment, Kagura? I thought you only met her yesterday."

Sesshomaru lunged again and Kanna stepped in front of him, her pale silver eyes capturing his. "Peace, demon," she said in her eerily small voice. "All will be explained." He sat down as if the strings holding him up had been cut, his gaze never leaving her face. Slowly, the red receded from his eyes and his demon marks faded. When she stepped away Sesshomaru was again seated next to Rin, his breathing still fast, but at least he was calm.

"So, Rin, your answer?" Kagura crossed her arms and smirked.

Taisho pointed a finger at the sorceress. "You just crossed a serious line, Kagura. And Rin, you don't have to answer that."

"No, it's okay." Everyone looked at her in disbelief. "No, really. I've heard worse. Well, not really, and not to my face, but whatever."

Clearing her throat, Rin self-consciously smoothed her hair. "No, I have no plans of sleeping my way to the top of anything. I don't know where you got the idea that I sell myself for success, but I assure you, I have a much higher opinion of myself than that. Besides, if you think I whore myself out to publishers, at least give me enough credit to think I'd make the bestseller list for my efforts. Now, it's my turn. Is that the only way you think women can be successful? Is that what you did? Maybe not to any of the board members or Taisho himself, but I'm sure there were a few mangers somewhere in the middle that could put in a good word for you, and it only cost you a few hours of your time. It's called projecting, sweetie, and it isn't a good thing."

As one, everyone looked at Kagura, who was fuming. "Why, you little bitch! How dare you speak to me like that?"

Rin shrugged. "You started it."

"I saw you last night."

"I was in the backyard. Congratulations, you found my secret hiding place."

"No," her eyes narrowed. "In the kitchen."

Sesshomaru stiffened next to her. It was a slight movement, but she felt his body tighten. Rin thought about it for a second and decided nonchalance was the best move. Maybe if she acted like she didn't care, Kagura would be so furious she wouldn't spill the beans. Or it would go the other way and she'd be furious and freak out. Either way, Rin didn't have much of a choice. At least this way, she wouldn't be the one to embarrass Sesshomaru.

"And?"

Kagura shot to her feet, so angry she was nearly purple. "This isn't over." She stalked out of the room and all the air came rushing back in. Rin pressed her face in her hands and shook, the front she had put up for Kagura crumbling.

Taisho clapped, apparently his go-to habit. "All right, everyone. That's enough for today. Dinner is at six, and I just want to remind you that there is a pool and Jacuzzi outside for anyone who cares to use it."

Summarily dismissed, everyone filed out except for Taisho, Izzy, Sesshomaru, and Kagome. Kagome sent Inuyasha outside to 'chop firewood or something' until he cooled off. Rin cried silently, her harsh breathing the only sound of distress. A hand rubbed her back in small circles and she could hear Kagome murmuring soothing sounds. She loved Kagome like a sister, but Rin turned to where she felt safer.

-x-

Sesshomaru froze as Rin buried her face in his chest. His inner demon was running in circles of joy, but still growling its anger at her tears. His right hand replaced Kagome's and Rin wrapped her arms around his waist.

The other three were staring at him in open shock. Kagome's hand was still in midair. "Oh, hm, well… this changes things."

Izzy nodded. "Indeed. Sesshomaru?" He looked at her and felt the truth coil inside of him.

**:MATE:**

He refused to voice the thought, refused to bend to his demon's will. If there was any truth to the claim, which he doubted, it would be addressed in privacy.

"I took a walk last night and came upon these two. Kagome came inside and I stayed with Rin. In the kitchen, she merely thanked me for sitting with her." The partial truth satisfied their curiosity, and he had absolutely zero intentions of ever letting them on to the whole truth of the matter.

Izzy still looked confused. "Then why the scene at the dinner table?"

Rin lifted her head and wiped away the last traces of tears, but stayed glued to Sesshomaru's side, for which he was extremely grateful. "Maybe she's just a bitch? And now, she's a crazy bitch who thinks I stole her man." She hiccupped a sad little laugh and leaned her head on his shoulder.

The three others still looked at them with a mixture of amazement and incredulity. "Did you?" Kagome asked. Rin glared at her and she shrugged.

"We went on one date. There was never anything to steal." Sesshomaru's voice was icy.

"Rin, we consider you our personal guest here, not just Kagome's friend," Taisho said. "If you like, we can run interference on your behalf to stop something like this from happening again."

"That would be good."

Taisho reached out a hand to pat Rin's knee, but Sesshomaru narrowed his eyes at his father. The movement stopped immediately and Taisho gave him a knowing look. "Very well, then. Since you feel so …comfortable with Sesshomaru, I'd recommend staying near him when no one else is around. Hopefully, this will keep her away long enough until you two aren't under the same roof."

Rin nodded, glancing up at Sesshomaru. He inclined his head slightly and she smiled brilliantly. "Okay, then," she told Taisho. "If you don't mind, I'd still like to do some of the activities, if they won't cause any more trouble."

"Of course not, my dear. I'll get you a schedule shortly. Now, if you will excuse me, I need to have a word with my son in private." He stood and walked to the doorway, waiting for Sesshomaru.

Rin released him slowly, her fingers trailing over his body and leaving goosebumps in their wake. His demon relished the contact, but screamed for him to go back when he walked away. Hushed whispers started between the three women before he had even left the room. He made a point not to listen and give his demon any more fodder for rebellion.

Taisho led the way to his study and closed the door behind them. Sesshomaru sensed the movement behind him a split second too late and found himself pinned against the door by his neck. His father got in his face and whispered harshly. "What in the seven hells do you think you're doing with that girl?"

Sesshomaru felt his eyes burn red and he growled. "What the fuck are you talking about, old man?"

"You challenge me, in my own house, over one of _my_ guests? You may be taller than me, but I am your lord and you _will_ treat me with due respect!"

Sesshomaru met his father's gaze and stared into his eyes, challenging him anew. He had been content as his father's second for century upon century, never truly bucking his authority, at peace with the amount of power and freedom being heir to the Western Lands afforded him. He had gladly submitted to his father for many things, but he was going to hold his ground for the female.

**:MAAAATE:**

Their gazes warred and the hand around his neck tightened until Sesshomaru saw stars. He took a one gasping breath after another as darkness began to blur the edges of his vision. The demon in him screamed for him to remain conscious, to protect his mate, to _win_.

Weighing his options, he took the safer route. Even though this was his father, there was no guarantee of leniency if he lost consciousness. One did not reign as Lord of the West for nearly a millennia without a willingness to do what needed to be done. Just before the threatening darkness took him, he dropped his eyes. The hand at his throat released immediately and he crashed to the floor, sucking in air through his damaged windpipe.

Taisho placed a bottle of water in arm's reach and backed off, seating himself in a wingback chair and watching Sesshomaru recover. He struggled to a sitting position and took a drink, wincing as the cool water burned on the way down. When he had made his way across the room and into a chair matching the one his father was using, Taisho started his lecture, using the captive audience for all it was worth.

"You know, Sesshomaru, I was thinking about this as you recovered. I don't recall once, ever, when you have seriously challenged me. For you to do it now, without considering it from every angle before acting, is wholly unlike you. Mind you, I'm not saying that some impulsivity wouldn't be good for you, but normally you would think before reacting. You've mated this girl."

"No." It was more of a harsh croak than a word, but Taisho got the gist.

"Yes. You speak up at dinner on her behalf, you go outside and sit with her, you try to kill Kagura, and you threaten me. _Something_ happened between you, and I don't really care what it was, but you need to realize that you aren't yourself right now. You aren't acting, you're _reacting_."

Gingerly rubbing his neck, Sesshomaru replayed his actions of the past twenty-four hours. As much as he loathed admitting it, his father was right. The little female had nearly bowled him over in the hallway and continued to do so every time he saw her. Still…

"She is human."

"Your point? So is Izzy. And Kagome. And Kanna's Kohaku. It is not desirous for a demon and human to mate, but the times have changed, Sesshomaru. You must change with them."

Damn, he hated when Taisho was logical. The man would be insufferable now, since he managed to get one up on his son, who was well-known for his strategic abilities. He took another sip of water and it didn't hurt so bad this time.

Maybe he should just go ahead and mark the girl. It would surely infuriate Kagura, but Sesshomaru had no plans of tailoring his life to her whims. Besides, the only way she could be more confrontational would be to go on a murderous rampage through the house. But he couldn't mate Rin. She was _human._ He was the great Lord Sesshomaru, whose name used to be whispered in children's nightmares. He was cold, calculating, unemotional, the grand example of what a demon should be. With the girl around he was weak.

**:MINE MY MATE:**

_Yes, I know what you think. Be quiet._

The dog had come alive when her scent had touched him in the hall. It hadn't shut up since, its demands for her presence and to mark its territory growing louder and more insistent with every passing moment. Sesshomaru had never truly considered mating any female, much less a human. Love was a weakness, a chink in one's armor that any enemy could exploit. He refused to consider the thought of exposing himself like that.

Then again, his beast was likely to drive him insane if he did not accede to its wishes. No. Sesshomaru was not a victim of the fates, he made his own. He would not be led along by his nose and instincts. He was master of his own body, and nothing would change that. His determination steeled itself into an icy resolve and the dog howled in anguish.

"I agree that I have not been acting my usual self. However, this girl is not my mate, nor do I plan on mating at all." Incoherent rage exploded in his mind, the demon battling to get out and have its way. "I will correct my erratic behavior, and will look after Rin while she is under this roof."

Taisho shook his head sadly. "I know you think you know what you want, but you are wrong." He stood and offered his hand. Sesshomaru took it and got to his feet.

The incessant burning in his throat was slowly easing, and if it wasn't comfortable, it was certainly better than it had been a few moments before. His father clapped a hand on his shoulder as they walked back to the living room, the voices of the women growing louder as he approached.

Rin gasped when he entered the room, her eyes immediately spotting the quickly purpling bruise around his neck. "Oh my god! Are you okay?" She opened her mouth to say something else, but he cut her off.

"It is of no matter." Damn, his voice was still raspy.

Her lips tightened and eyes narrowed. "I'm getting you some ice." She and Kagome left the room, Rin in an angry huff, her friend more sedately.

Inuyasha walked in just as Kagome left and whistled when he saw Sesshomaru's neck. "Damn, Fluffy. You must have really pissed the old man off." The old man in question cuffed the hanyou lightly and left arm-in-arm with his wife.

"Inuyasha, this is none of your concern."

"The hell it isn't!"

Sesshomaru glared at him. "I warn you, half-breed, do not meddle in my affairs."

"Or what?" Rin's voice cut through the tension between them. "What part of this is 'your affair', Sesshomaru?"

Inuyasha smirked. "Well, Fluffy just had to go and-"

"Sit, boy!"

Inuyasha smacked into the floor a split second before Sesshomaru's fist flew through the air where his face had been.

"What the hell, Kagome?" The muffled voice uttered several more curses before he finally struggled to his feet. "I was just going to tell her that-"

"Sit!" Another loud thump echoed as he hit the floor again. This time he glared at his wife when he got up, but kept his mouth shut. "This is none of your business, Inuyasha. If I hear you've said a single thing about this I swear I'll 's' you so many times you'll forget what it's like to stand." With that, she stalked out of the room.

Wide-eyed, Rin's gaze alternated between him and the hanyou. "Will someone tell me what the heck is going on?" Inuyasha huffed loudly and followed his wife, leaving Sesshomaru and Rin alone.

**:TAKE HER NOW:**

_Quiet!_

"Come. We must discuss this in private."

Rin followed him to the one room he knew for a fact that no one could overhear. The music room was completely soundproofed when the door was closed, a precaution taken for those who liked to make noise when everyone else was asleep. She instantly sat on the piano bench. The baby grand was Izzy's favorite, and was always kept in perfect condition. Sesshomaru elected to stay standing, even though his demon was urging him to sit next to her on the bench… or bend her over it. She held out the ice pack and he touched it against his neck softly. He didn't really need it, but if it eased her mind, he would feign relief. The demon preened under her scrutiny.

"What did he do to you?"

"My father and I had a difference of opinion and I challenged him. The bruises are nothing more than I deserved and will be faded to nothing by dinner tomorrow."

She pinched the bridge of her nose and squeezed her eyes shut. "Demon stuff doesn't make sense to me, but whatever." She chewed on her bottom lip, an action that reminded him of how they felt against his and he wondered if she would allow him the liberties he had taken in his fantasy.

Unfortunately, he needed to speak to her before marking her like the animal he was acting. "My father believes I have mated you."

Her eyes shot to his and her jaw dropped. "What?"

His demon growled at her tone. "Yes. I find myself acting highly irregularly where you are concerned, and my family is worried about the motives of my actions."

She could not be ignorant of the meaning of mating. Her friend and the half-breed were so closely bound that they would most likely die if one was to survive without the other. Rin knew more than most about demons, but not everything. The secret behind bonding was only shared with those mates that become fully bound. That was one of the unspoken rules that all demon kind followed.

"Have you? Mated me?"

**:YES:**

_Shut up!_ "No."

-x-

Rin bit back her disappointment in his answer. She shouldn't be thinking about being his mate no matter how drawn to him she was… she knew nothing of him besides that he was Inuyasha's older brother and was VP of his father's corporation. That wasn't exactly the best foundation for _dating_, let alone a mating.

Awkward silence echoed between them. She turned on the bench to face the piano, tapping out a simple rhythm. Without looking at him, she found her voice. "So… you aren't really the kind of guy who would lay in a field with someone and stare into space?"

"No."

"What are you really like, then?"

Her question got the expected answer and she continued playing nursery rhymes in silence. Risking a glance at him, Rin saw him standing still, his fingers opening and closing slowly.

She didn't hear him move, but one second he was standing by the door and the next he was directly in front of her. His golden eyes were nearly glowing in their intensity as they looked down at her. Unable to meet his gaze, she let her eyes wander over the bruises at his neck, his muscular shoulders, the defined chest.

"I am taiyoukai. Not a regular demon, but a demon lord. As is my father and the half-breed shares that blood. I am not one for self-description, but others have called me everything from aloof and antisocial to a complete bastard and a monster with no feelings. I cannot say that these titles are undeserved."

Rin chewed her lip as she thought it over. He was definitely aloof. Even she was antisocial sometimes, so she couldn't put that past him. He certainly had feelings, even if they were buried so deeply that he forgot about them sometimes. As much as she wanted to say that very thing, she stayed silent, knowing that if she interrupted, he would clam up.

"For centuries, until my father started this business, my only companion was a bound servant. Bound of his own free will, but bound nonetheless. Never have I reacted this way to anyone, demon or human." He leaned forward until Rin was caged between his body and the piano. She shivered in pleasure made even sharper by a tinge of fear. Some part of her knew he wouldn't hurt her, but his lean body concealed so much strength that it was a valid concern.

A small moan escaped as he whispered in her ear, his lips just brushing the lobe. "What is it about you that does this to me? How is it that you smell so divine?" He backed up a fraction to look her in the face. Red bled into the corners of his eyes as he inhaled deeply, his nostrils flaring. "Why are we undone by you?"

Her lips parted, but whether in surprise or to say something, she would never know. Sesshomaru crashed his mouth into hers and pulled her into his body, lifting her off the bench. Heat pooled between her legs as she wrapped them around his hips and he growled into her mouth. There was a small sound of wood scraping before he sat her on the keys, a discordant clang voicing the piano's complaint.

Her hands found their way into his hair, pulling him even closer. When their tongues touched, fireworks exploded behind her eyes. Rin explored his mouth, taking time to run her tongue over the slightly distended fangs. He tasted of wine and cinnamon, of wild things, of unleashed passions. He was like nothing she had ever experienced.

His hips rotated between hers and she moaned. By the evidence prodding at her center, he was enjoying this just as much as she was. _Now if only these stupid jeans would disappear…_

She came up for air and gasped as he focused on her neck, licking and sucking and nipping. Fangs scraped across a particularly sensitive spot and she shuddered. He did it again and again as one of her hands buried itself in his hair as the other snaked down between their writhing bodies. He hissed and jerked as her hand brushed his hardness.

Her eyes widened as she rubbed him through the denim. He was a very tall man, and he was in proportion. Everywhere. "Oh god, Sesshomaru!"

His hand worked its way under her shirt and clever fingers unhooked her bra. The cloth was pushed out of the way and he cupped her breast, thumb and forefinger immediately locating her nipple. They both moaned as he pinched lightly.

He kissed his way down to her chest and took the hardened tip into his mouth. She arched into the intimate caress of his tongue, moaning loudly as a bolt of white hot lust speared through her, settling in her core. He feasted on her hungrily, making her cry out when he bit down gently.

Unsnapping his jeans was difficult with only one hand, but she managed. Her fingers trailed along the newly exposed skin and she reveled in the slight quivering of his muscles as she touched him. The exploring hand dipped inside and found him ready and waiting.

When she wrapped her fingers around the shaft and stroked, his hips bucked forward as a load moan sounded. At the tip moisture was gathered, so she spread it around and stroked again, more forcefully this time. His whole body shuddered at that.

"Fuck, Rin… yes, my ma-"

He froze for a split second before he disappeared, moving so fast she could hardly track him. He only stopped when he was pressed against the farthest wall, palms pressed against the soundproofed panels. Red eyes blazed out from a demon-marked face. He was panting hard, barely able to catch his breath.

Rin, breathing just as heavily and balanced on the lip of the piano, put her feet on the floor, but made no other move to right herself. "Sesshomaru?"

"This can't happen."

Her jaw dropped so fast it popped. "What?"

"We can't do this."

"What the hell do you mean 'we can't'?" Rin crossed her arms and glared at him. He couldn't be serious… "We seemed to be doing it pretty well until you freaked out."

He winced as he zipped up his pants and ran a hand through his hair. "It was a mistake, pure weakness on my part, and I apol-"

"I swear to God, Sesshomaru, if you say you're sorry I'm going to come over there and pop you." Studiously avoiding looking at the demon, Rin rehooked her bra and pulled her shirt down. "And what do you mean that it was a mistake?"

"I am taiyoukai. You are human."

"So are Taisho and Izzy-"

"And they are not you and me. No, Rin. This will never be."

His words hit her like a slap in the face. Mustering what little dignity she had left, Rin sneered at him. "Fine. Fuck you, too. You and Kagura deserve each other." She stormed out of the room, flinging the door open so hard it hit the wall and slammed behind her. Fortunately, she made it to her room before the tears flowed.


	5. The Fish Thief

**A/N:** Okay. In response to the reviews and several people who PM'ed me, I 100% agree that Sesshomaru was a complete fucktard in the last chapter. I don't think you'll be disappointed in the development of the story, though. I've still got a loooong way to go to the finish, so anything can happen!

I also have to take this time and send out a huge thank thank you to everyone who took the time to read and review. I've taken a look at your profiles and it amazes me that such talented people who write stories that I adore (and obsessively watch for updates) like my take on Rin and Sesshomaru. You guys spoil me with your kind words... but keep 'em coming! :D

DISCLAIMER FULL OF DISCLAIMEY-NESS: I don't own Inuyasha. Hopefully, you know that by now. I'd prefer to have Sesshy anyways. :P

* * *

><p><strong>:NOOOOO MATE COME BACK BRING HER BACK NOW NOW NOW MATE MATE MINE MY MATE:<strong>

Sesshomaru winced as the door slammed behind Rin. Gods, she had every reason to hate him now. There was no doubt that this would get around and that the half-breed and his wife would come for him. He could handle whatever they threw at him, but would be better equipped to do so if his demon would just be quiet.

The dog had loved every second that his hands had been on her. She was so responsive, the smallest touches wringing gasps and moans that he was sure she hadn't even known she made. Her hands, oh, her hands… his cock throbbed in memory of her delicate touch, of her slim fingers stroking him as he suckled her-

**:MAAAAAATE:**

_Yes, I know. SHUT UP!_

Sesshomaru hadn't had to fight his instincts like this since he came of age and the demon started asserting itself. Ignoring the dog's anguished howling, he pushed the piano seat back into its proper place and picked up the forgotten icepack. It was still mostly frozen and he had an absurd urge to press it to his heart. Snarling and disgusted with this display of weak emotions, he left the music room, intending on …something. He wasn't sure what he planned to do and that rattled him more than anything else that had happened. Sesshomaru was always at least three steps ahead of himself. This accursed spontaneity was completely unlike him.

It was all that damn female's fault. _She_ was the one who kissed him. _She_ was the one who cried on him. _She_ was the one who had that intoxicating scent. The last thing he needed was some woman coming along and turning his entire fucking world upside down. He had been fine by himself for centuries, he would be fine for many more. And if he felt the need for a woman? That's what whores were for. The demon's rage redoubled at the thought and Sesshomaru inwardly groaned.

Quiet sobbing reached him and he followed it, the sound growing louder until he found himself outside her door. The scent of tears flooded the hallway between their rooms, proof of his hurtful words.

**:MATE NEEDS US:**

_Hates us, you mean._

It had taken every bit of his considerable willpower to pull away from her earlier and it was almost as difficult now. His demon wailed as the bedroom door closed behind him. The thing was going to drive him insane if it didn't quit whining about the girl.

What was he going to do about her? He had told Taisho that he would watch over her, but now he was going to have to so from a distance. When she found out he was staying in the room across the hall she would probably ask to be switched and then he couldn't come to the rescue if anything happened at night.

For that matter, what was he going to do about Kagura? Open hostility wasn't her usual type of attack, so she was a complete unknown at the moment. A dull throbbing started behind his eyes and he went to the medicine cabinet in the bathroom for some aspirin. He choked down the chalky pills with a grimace. Taking them was torture, but between the demon screaming in his head and the stress of Kagura, he was on the fast track for a serious headache. If he didn't try and ward off the worst, he'd end up in bed all day tomorrow with a migraine from hell.

As he wandered back into the bedroom area, her heard the door across the hall close, followed by soft footsteps retreating. He ignored the dog's howling and sat on the bed in defiance of the urge to chase after her. Why was she affecting him like this? She was human, so her being his mate wasn't a satisfactory answer.

His mind began throwing images of her at him, one after the other. Rin laughing. Rin staring at the stars. Rin throwing Kagura's question back at her. Rin kissing him in the kitchen. Rin in the music room, her face flushed, eyes hooded with desire, lips swollen from the abuse he had inflicted, her perfect breasts and the way her nipples tasted…

No.

Sesshomaru refused to be bullied by his own brain. He forced his thoughts to the most boring thing he could possibly think of. Mentally reviewing the accounting department's presentation from a few days ago, he considered the short-term advantages versus the long-term of profit sharing for mid-level employees. In reality he couldn't possibly care less, but the final decision had been left to him.

A while later, when he had decided to allow the profit sharing, but at a reduced percentage of what the accountant presented, his stomach growled. After glancing at the clock, he decided to go down to dinner. It was nearly six, and he wanted to see if Rin was still in one piece. The impulse came from a purely chaste standpoint as her guardian-

**:MATE:**

-Even if his demon had other ideas.

-x-

Rin felt much better now. She still wasn't feeling quite up to par but she had cried herself out earlier. Acknowledging that she had made a mistake of epic proportions, she vowed to not let her libido run away with her again. No matter how ridiculously hot someone was, she wasn't about to let them tromp all over her like that. She was done with all the high school dating games and wanted something real. No way would she allow herself to be someone's doormat.

Right now, everyone was gathering for dinner and Shippo was regaling them about the time he had taken the Kitsune Ranking Exam and had tortured Inuyasha relentlessly. The hanyou looked embarrassed at the memory of having been tricked so many times but had come to see the humor in the story.

"…and then I ran away crying and he followed me. Then he set off the last trap and got smashed by a bunch of statues bigger than me!" Since the kitsune was only about four feet tall, that wasn't saying much. Inuyasha turned bright red as several people laughed.

"Feh. I was just trying to help him out, is all. I knew it was there."

Shippo snorted. "Right. That's why you came after me when you dug yourself out of that hole in the ground."

Rin had to grin at that, too. She was incredibly glad to be here, even if it was a business function. These people were like a true family. Inuyasha, Sango, Miroku, and Shippo had tons of stories to tell of each other and the times they had before Kagome joined their group. Afterwards, the stories usually had her involved in a big way, but Rin already knew the basics of most of those.

A second clique of friends contained Onigumo, Kikyo, Kagura, Kanna, and Kohaku. They seemed more reserved when speaking to each other in comparison to the raucous laughter emanating from the first group. Kohaku, Sango's younger brother, occasionally drifted over to her for a bit, but always returned to Kanna's side.

Bankotsu, Hojo, Koga, and Ayame went to whichever group seemed more entertaining at the moment. Currently, Bankotsu and Koga were listening to Shippo, while Hojo and Ayame were speaking quietly with Kikyo.

"That's nothing," Koga said, "You should see my friends Ginta and Hakkaku. One time we were all hiking and taking a rest next to a waterfall and Hakkaku jumped out of a bush and just about scared the fur off of Ginta. So later on, Hakkaku is sitting near the edge of the water, and Ginta jumps out at him. Hakkaku panics, grabs on to Ginta to keep his balance, and they both go over the edge!"

Amid the laughter, Bankostu spoke up and told them how one of his brothers was a chemist who inadvertently blew off his eyebrows and most of his hair because he was distracted by a pretty girl. Rin told Kaede's favorite story of her.

"When I was little, like six or seven, my neighbor had a koi pond in his backyard. My mom had mentioned wanting fish for dinner, so-" she broke off when people starting groaning prematurely.

"Oh, you've heard this one?" When they stopped chuckling, she continued. "So I took it upon myself to go get one. Well, nobody could ignore a six-year-old splashing around in their pricey lawn decorations, so he came out and scolded me. Out of nowhere, here comes this big dog. And it was gigantic to a little kid, let me tell you. The guy panics and falls into his precious pond, splashing out a few fish. I pick one up and take off because, hey, it landed right in front of me. The guy is yelling, the dog is growling, and I'm running as fast as my legs can carry me.

"I hear footsteps behind me and I think it's the dog coming to eat me, so I turn and throw the fish as hard as I can. It smacks the guy right in his face and he goes down again. When I make it back to the house, there's a different koi lying on the steps with a perfect set of fang marks puncturing it. My mom is standing in the doorway and she just looks at me. 'Rinny,' she says, pointing at the fish, 'You wouldn't know anything about this, would you?'

"Mind you, here I am, dripping in water and mud, stinking to high heaven. I just shake my head and she smiles as she picks up the fish and takes it inside. Less than a minute later, the guy is pounding on our door and demanding that we pay for the fish that hit him and died. They talk for a moment and I'm pretty sure it was about my punishment, but I didn't hear. I couldn't take my eyes from the giant dog sitting on our lawn.

"They finally notice and the guy freaks out and bolts. The dog just looks at him. My mom stands in the doorway, her and the dog looking at each other. Finally, I lean around her and say, 'Thanks for the fish, puppy!' The dog barks once and runs off."

The group just looked at her and she noticed Sesshomaru watching from the doorway. "And?" Kagome prompted, "What happened?"

Rin smiled. "We ate the koi that night and Kaede said it was the best damn fish she'd ever eaten and that we'd have to go grocery shopping in the neighbor's yard from now on."

They all chuckled, except for Sesshomaru, who stared at her as if he just saw her sprout a second head. _He's probably thinking what a peasant I am, having eaten stolen koi,_ she thought. It sobered her enjoyment and she barely managed to smile politely.

When they all sat at the table Rin found herself between Shippo and Bankotsu, who took turns making her laugh. Bankotsu had endless stories about he and his six brother's misadventures and Shippo was an incredibly mischievous kitsune, apparently more so than most of his kin. Sesshomaru was seated at the far end of the table next to Hojo, who was speaking to him intently.

Every now and then Rin would sneak a furtive glance at him, feeling phantom fingers in her hair and ghostly lips on her neck. _One more,_ she thought,_ one more glance and I'm done. _When she looked at him, their eyes met and her gaze darted to the table. Feigning a cough, she hoped no one had noticed anything amiss.

_Someone that callous shouldn't be so attractive._ She was no longer furious at his rejection, but a deep hurt had settled in her chest. It almost felt like there was a gigantic weight pressing down on her, making it hard to think straight. Being a fairly introspective person, Rin hated this new dark shade to her thoughts. _Forget about him! Everyone said he's a big jerk, anyway._

As much as she wanted to agree with the little voice, she couldn't. She was under no illusions about his demeanor, there being no doubt he could be a first-class asshole. But he had seemed so sincere when they spoke in the field. Before he stomped all over her in the music room, Rin had truly believed he desired her. Either he was the greatest actor she had ever seen or his demon part really did like her and the man was the problem.

The entire situation could be summed up in two words, a common complaint shared between women whenever they had issues with the opposite sex: _Fucking men._

When she lifted her eyes again, Kagome gave her a knowing look from across the table. Great, exactly what she needed. Kagome was like the sister she had never had, but it was times like this when Rin wanted to kill her just so she would keep her mouth shut. Other than the woman witnessing her private embarrassment, the meal went rather well.

Shippo had become a fast friend and always kept the conversation moving. Bankotsu was nearly as entertaining, always having something fun to add or a witty observation to make. Kagura kept to herself, speaking softly to Kikyo and Kanna, completely ignoring Rin's presence. When the plates had been whisked away and people began drifting off, Rin caught Kagome's eye and motioned towards the living room.

She left as Kagome leaned over to say something to Inuyasha. She wasn't in the living room long before Kagome came in, followed by a waddling Sango. "Look what I found lost in the middle of a bunch of men."

The pregnant woman smiled. "They were talking stocks and all I could think of was how bad my back hurts. If I'm intruding on anything, just tell me to butt out. Otherwise, I think I'll just sink into this sinfully fluffy couch and stay here for the rest of the week."

"No worries, and I wouldn't sit quite yet if I were you. Want to go swimming? I want to, but not by myself."

"Oh, yeah! That'll take the weight off of my poor, battered spine. Now if these kids would just quit kickboxing in there, I'd be a happy girl. Kagome, you coming, too?"

"Of course."

Rin waved her hand in the direction of the stairs and mockingly half-bowed. "Well, then. Shall we, ladies?" Sango left for her first floor room, given in deference to her condition. Kagome and Rin separated at the second floor landing where Kagome turned left, Rin right.

Thankful she had taken Kagome's advice and packed what she had recommended, Rin pulled out her favorite bathing suit, a modest cover-up and a pair of sandals. After dressing and carefully wiping off her mascara, her hair went up in a messy knot on top of her head and she went back downstairs, where both women were waiting for her.

As if it was preordained, just as Rin and her group stepped out of one door to the pool area, Kagura and her crew stepped out of the other. They sized each other up for a moment before Kagura huffed loudly. "Well, I certainly don't want to soak now." She didn't move, as if she expected Rin to concede the pool without any protesting.

She didn't have to. Sango shrugged and threw a towel on the nearest lounge chair. "It's an Olympic size pool and a giant hot tub. I'm sure we can manage to share and be civil about it."

Everyone else must have agreed, because they all picked out lounges. Kagura was the only one who didn't move. After tossing her towel down, Rin turned to the woman. "Kagura, may I speak with you for a moment?"

Kagura looked just as surprised as everyone else at the request. "If you must," she said, her voice bitter. Rin walked past her and to the edge of the yard, facing away from their onlookers. Kagura followed suit, crossing her arms impatiently. "Well? What do you want?"

"Why do you hate me?"

"You're even stupider than I thought if you can't figure that out by now."

Rin barely refrained from rolling her eyes. "I know why you do _now_, I meant why on the first night? There was no reason to be as mean as you were, and from what I gather, you aren't like that usually. So, why?"

Kagura pursed her lips and looked away. Rin began to think she was going to walk away and leave the question unanswered when she opened her mouth. "I worked hard for what I have. I spent years working under some of the most odious people I have ever met in order to get where I am today. It irritates me that someone can sit down in front of a computer, spit out some half-assed story and make it big."

Rin's eyes widened. "I didn't realize you felt that strongly about artists. I work my ass off writing those books. I wasn't exaggerating when I said I write every day. I have since I was fourteen. And now, since I make my living from it, I probably work a longer day than you. This is my first break in six years, and even then, I wrote for almost four hours last night."

Kagura turned her head to look at Rin for a long moment. "I saw how he looked at you during dinner. And I saw that kiss, too."

"I know."

"Well?"

Rin raised an eyebrow. "Well, what? I can't help how he looked at me. I did kiss him, and it felt right at the time. I won't apologize when I did nothing wrong."

"Then why are we speaking?" Her eyes narrowed. "My time is a valuable commodity, and I do not take kindly to it being squandered."

Rin sighed loudly. "Geez, Kagura, chill out. If it makes you feel any better, he doesn't want me."

"Really?"

"Really." Rin closed her eyes at the painful reminder of that afternoon. He couldn't have made it plainer. "We talked about it. I'm just a human."

"Hm…" Her wistful tone brought a sad little smile to Rin's lips. Kagura didn't realize that just because Sesshomaru didn't want the human, it didn't mean that he would go for the sorceress.

"Listen, we still have a week left on this little shindig, so how about we quit provoking each other? We're going to see each other a lot, and I'd like to be able to pass you on the stairs without worrying you're going to push me down them."

When Kagura just looked at her, Rin felt compelled to continue. "Trust me, I'm not trying to be all buddy-buddy with you now. You're still a bitch. Just think of me as, I don't know, a coworker you don't like but have to work with every day."

After considering for a minute, Kagura stuck her hand out and smiled. It completely transformed her face. Rin took the hand and they shook once. "Truce."

-x-

Sesshomaru never would have believed it if he hadn't heard it from her own mouth. It defied all rational explanation and he was in total shock as he walked in on her story.

Rin was the fish girl. He had never told a soul about that day, knowing he would rue it for the rest of his long life.

_He had been flying overhead when a scent drew him to the ground. It was uncomfortable and he hated doing it, but he shrunk down to the size of a very large dog and sniffed out the fragrance._

_The path led to a filthy child splashing in a fountain. Sitting on his haunches, he watched as the girl tried to catch the fish that swam frantically around her grasping fingers. It was surprisingly amusing to watch her grab one and pout when it wriggled away. Then the man had come._

_He was an older gentleman, with frizzy gray hair and a scowl etched into his features. He yelled at Rin to stop and she did, but he continued yelling. When her eyes started to water and her bottom lip quivered, Sesshomaru couldn't take it anymore._

_Walking out of the shelter of the woods, the dog curled his lips and let out a low growl. The man turned so quickly he lost his balance and fell into the fountain. Several fish landed at the girl's feet, so she picked one up and ran, not sparing him a second glance. The man pulled himself out of the fountain and quickly scooped up the remaining fish, putting them back in the water._

_He strolled towards the fountain and the man gave chase to the little girl. Sesshomaru reached in and picked out a fish, holding it delicately in his powerful jaws. Following his nose, one big heave had him soaring above the small wood that separated the man's house from the girl's._

_He saw the fish smack the man in the face and let out a snort of doggy amusement. Landing lightly, he placed the fish on the back steps, scratched at the door and retreated to the far corner of the yard, making himself as unobtrusive as possible. The girl streaked through the yard just as her mother opened the door and looked at the fish in shock._

_The two females spoke for a minute before the mother took both the fish and the girl inside. Not a moment later, the man entered the yard and started pounding on the door. His voice was loud and harsh to his sensitive ears, and Sesshomaru couldn't take much of it._

_When he stepped out of the shadows, the woman looked at him without fear. The man turned to see what she was looking at and panicked, running back into the trees. Idiot. If Sesshomaru was a real dog, that would have only provoked him more to chase. As it was, he still had to tamp down his instincts._

_He and the woman stared at each other. Knowing that the girl was in there somewhere kept him where he was. His demon had completely taken over in this; he would not leave until he saw her again. A small head poked around the woman's leg, shouting a thank you._

_He barked once and fled, entirely too comfortable with the way his dog reacted to the girl. Part of him vowed he would keep track of her and eventually find out why he was drawn to her. The other part swore that he would never set foot within miles of her ever again._

Until this week, both vows were kept to a certain degree. He had gone back to check on her a few years later, but they had moved, and the new tenants had no idea where they had gone. And he really hadn't come close to her in all those years, either. It all made some sort of sense, if you believed in the cruel joke people called fate. Sesshomaru didn't. Fate was the thing blamed when something horrible happened and praised when a happy coincidence occurred. He was master of his own destiny, and no imaginary universal force would take that from him.

At dinner, he couldn't help but notice Rin glancing at him periodically. Several times he felt his eyes drifting toward her as well. Their gazes met once and Rin blushed furiously at being caught. She stopped looking at him after that, but he couldn't stop looking at her.

The two males on either side of her were courting their doom and didn't even realize it. Shippo was on a roll of making her laugh and Bankotsu was being entirely too charming. Sesshomaru seethed every time she looked at the blasted human, seeing her look at him through her lashes and touch her hair. The woman _liked_ him. How dare she find a mere human attractive when he was in the same room?

After eating, everyone drifted off in twos and threes until he was the only one still at the table. Lost in his thoughts, he didn't consciously realize he was alone until one of the kitchen staff asked if he needed anything else. He left the maid to her duties and decided to seek out Inuyasha. The half-breed would surely have much to say, most of it guaranteed to annoy Sesshomaru. As much as he hated asking anyone for advice, he was navigating unknown territory completely blind when it came to emotions. Boredom, anger, disdain… these he affected well. Jealousy, longing, anything like that? Not so much.

He sniffed out the hanyou and tracked him to the poolside. Inuyasha and three humans were seated next to the small bar area and transfixed by something near the water. Sesshomaru stopped behind Miroku. "Aren't you mated?"

The man glanced back briefly before returning to the sight before them. "Yes, but that doesn't mean I can't enjoy the scenery."

Bankotsu nodded. "And such beautiful scenery cannot be neglected. It would be a crime against nature." Hojo made a sound of agreement.

All the women were fully utilizing the area, rotating among the pool, the Jacuzzi, and the lounge chairs. Sesshomaru's eyes followed the scent his nose had immediately sought and found Rin emerging from the hot tub. Her skin was flushed from the heat and streams of water rippled down her flat stomach. The small red pieces of fabric she wore set off her porcelain skin flawlessly. He had the sudden urge to lick every droplet from her body.

"Holy shit." The demon went crazy at Bankotsu's expression. How dare someone else look at his mate? Fisting his hands, the emerging claws ripped into his flesh. The blood scent caught the hanyou's attention and he turned toward Sesshomaru, curiosity coloring his features.

"Inuyasha, I require a moment of your time."

Understanding dawned and he smiled. "Sure. Lead the way."

Sesshomaru found the library empty and closed the door behind them. Unable to find the words to express what he wanted to say, Sesshomaru sat in the chair Rin had used when signing Izzy's books earlier. Gods, it was still the same day? The past twenty-four hours seemed like a week had passed. If this was how it always felt when you were trapped in a deluge of unfamiliar emotion, he was tempted to call it quits right now.

"Why won't you admit you've mated her already? You're just torturing yourself." Trust the half-breed to start things off with all the subtlety and grace of a rampaging bull elephant.

"I have not mated her."

"Right. And your claws came out just to say 'hello'. Please." Sesshomaru narrowed his eyes at Inuyasha, but the younger man ignored him. "I know you have this whole high-and-mighty-untouchable thing going on, but you have to listen to your instincts once in a while. Sometimes they're right."

The dog howled in frustration, as if Inuyasha could hear him. Sesshomaru just winced at the mental noise, cursing the demon. "I must do nothing, except find out why she affects me so."

The hanyou scoffed. "How is it that everyone in this family knows except you?" Rubbing his forehead, he looked at Sesshomaru with an odd expression. "I know we're different because I'm not full demon, but when my demon half wants something, it only gets louder the more I resist. You're master of your own life, I get it. Did you ever stop to think that maybe, in this one instance, the dog knows better than the man?"

Sesshomaru didn't have anything to say to that. His demon wouldn't shut up and had, in fact, become noticeably louder. It had been longer than he could remember since the dog had acted anything even remotely resembling this. Actually, one circumstance came to mind, now that he thought about it.

About two hundred years ago, he had come upon an incredibly lovely human female in the forest. He enjoyed her company once and, quite by accident, got her with child. He moved on the next day, only returning to the area several months later to find that, not a week earlier, the woman had been stoned to death for consorting with a him. The dog went on a complete rampage, destroying the entire village down to the last animal. Sesshomaru had no feelings one way or the other about the whole debacle as he never harbored any intentions of acknowledging the child, but the demon took the destruction of his seed as a personal affront.

Only three times had the dog made its feelings perfectly clear. The woman in the forest, the fish encounter with Rin, and now. Perhaps it only had issues with females? No, that couldn't be it. Sesshomaru had been involved with women for his entire life, both personally and professionally. Those instances were the very rare exception, not the rule.

Were the forest woman and Rin at the same point in their cycles? It was widely known that demons readily responded to fertile females. No, not that, either. If that was the case, why had he never reacted to any of the other women in their fertile phase when they were around him? He was not a betting man, but he would wager a fortune that he had interacted with more than two in his long life. Besides, Rin had not yet flowered the first time he had seen her. All the information he had regarding the signs and symptoms of his condition pointed to the one conclusion he refused to accept.

Sesshomaru was an adept businessman. He had translated literally thousands of pages of nearly incomprehensible legalese and found every loophole, every false promise, every carefully worded cop-out he had set out to locate. He was a master strategist. He always planned things several stages ahead, anticipating contingency upon contingency. It was a distinct point of pride that he could poke holes in every plan he looked over.

It was absolutely killing him that he couldn't find a fault in what his half-brother was saying. The bastard hanyou had the gall to be logical!

"I refuse to believe she is my mate."

Inuyasha muttered something under his breath that sounded suspiciously like 'stupid dog'. "Do you know how Kagome and I met?"

Sesshomaru shook his head, silently promising to injure the half-breed if this didn't directly relate to his problem with Rin.

"It was in college. We were in the same class and ended up paired together for a long-term assignment. At first, I couldn't stand her. She was perky, happy, and quick to tell me I was being stupid. But she smelled so damn good. Soon, I couldn't stand when the weekends came, because it meant I couldn't see her for two whole days. My instincts went completely crazy without her near me. I invented excuses to be near her, to watch out for her and try to protect her against anything that might hurt her. Overall, it took me almost two years to do something about how I felt and even then, she had to push me into it. But, let me tell you, it was the best thing that's ever happened to me. And if my nose hadn't insisted I stay with her, it would never have happened."

Sesshomaru lifted an eyebrow. "Follow my nose. That's your sage advice?"

Inuyasha rolled his eyes and put a hand to his forehead. "My eyes just rolled so hard it actually hurt. No, Fluffy. My sage advice is to follow your _demon_. It may be a damned inconvenient thing to do if you let it control you on a regular basis, but letting it have its way once in a while can't hurt."

"The dog is tota-"

"Stop," the younger man said, cutting the older off, "Seriously, just stop. Stop thinking, stop trying to control it. You're out of the boardroom, out of the office, out of responsibilities this week. It's Sunday; we don't leave until next Sunday morning. You have plenty of time to see how this goes in the meantime. You don't have to make a decision right now, but you do have to make it soon."

"And why is that?"

"Because sooner or later, probably sooner, someone is going to do or say something to her that your demon won't be able to handle, and you're going to do something unforgivable."

Sesshomaru sighed. Damn him and his logic. When had Inuyasha become grown-up? "I will take your advice under consideration."

The hanyou sighed irritably. "I should warn you that if you do decide to give this a shot, if you hurt Rin we will have a serious problem. She's my mate's sister and I won't have any harm come to her, physically or otherwise. Don't think I couldn't smell the fresh tears on her at dinner. I don't know what happened between you, but I didn't say anything because you seemed just as torn up as she did."

They stood in the same instant, Sesshomaru fighting the demon who wanted to disembowel the hanyou for suggesting he would harm his mate, Inuyasha sensing this and ready to defend himself. Gritting his teeth, Sesshomaru forced his dog into submission, a sweat breaking out on his forehead with the effort.

Seeing his brother struggling, Inuyasha decided to exit as quickly as possible. "All right, I'll just, uh, leave you to yourself." He headed to the door, only stopping when Sesshomaru called his name.

"Inuyasha." He nearly growled the words through his clenched teeth. "Thank you."

The half-breed gave a lopsided smile. "Anytime, Fluffy."


	6. Pool Games

**A/N: **Sorry for the delay in posting this new chapter! My birthday was Monday (I feel so old, LOL) and I went away for a long weekend. No internet access, a forgotten laptop charger, and obscene amounts of alcohol don't make for a very conducive writing environment. But it was a freaking blast!

Anyways...

Yes, Sesshomaru has been getting more attention than Rin. Yes, I am well aware of this and have no plans to change it, unless I get a lot of crap for it. Rin, as interesting as she is, has a pretty good handle on this whole situation. She's used to dealing with emotions and has dated before, so this isn't too hard for her to deal with. Fluffy, on the other hand... he's going through a huge amount of change and I find it absolutely fascinating to watch him do it. He will eventually come around, but he's so used to being in control that he's having major issues. And as we all know, conflict makes writing fun!

DISCLAIMER: I don't own Inuyasha or any other recognizable characters/names/brands, etc. If I did, I'd have them do dirty things like this all the time.

* * *

><p>Sesshomaru sat in the library for quite a while, mulling over his conversation with Inuyasha. The half-breed had made a disturbing amount of sense, leaving more questions than he had helped solve. Why had his demon chosen a human? Was he really acting so out of character that everyone could see his internal struggle? Was his iron-bound control not going to stop him from disemboweling Bankotsu of he kept flirting with Rin? Was he really only torturing himself? Was this alleged mating inevitable?<p>

**:MINE MY MATE:**

Most importantly, would his damn instincts shut up long enough for him to think clearly for a moment?

Perhaps Rin was simply a momentary distraction, like the female in the forest so many years ago. The demon had been fairly insistent then, as well, so it was more than likely that it was happening again. The dog had gone crazy when his seed had been killed, and neither he nor the demon had cared one whit for the girl or the child itself. The perceived slight against him had been the greater offense, for which he had taken his destructive revenge.

That had to be it. Sesshomaru and his demon were merely protecting their temporary claim on Rin. Kagura had gone out of her way to make trouble and Bankotsu was trying to lure her away from him. As for the challenge to his father? His emotions had been running high after the confrontation with Kagura and he had overreacted.

The dog grumbled, unhappy with his reasoning, but didn't protest so loudly that Sesshomaru couldn't tune it out. Satisfied with the realization that she was just a diversion on this hellish forced vacation, he allowed himself a small smile for a split-second. Deciding on visiting the theatre room for a movie, he walked back towards the kitchen for a drink to take up with him.

Loud music and laughter filtered through the doors to the patio. He stepped outside into the dusk, the spotlights and decorative torches around the deck lighting the pool area as if it was still day. He couldn't help but frown at the spectacle his coworkers were making.

Someone had found the stereo system and old rock music was playing from hidden speakers around the area. Kohaku was behind the bar, passing out bottles of beer. Several people were splashing and cursing in the pool, much to the enjoyment of others standing by or using the lounge chairs. Even Taisho and Izzy had joined in the fray and were relaxing in the hot tub. Everyone, including the human males he had left poolside when he spoke to Inuyasha, was wearing their pool clothes. Apparently he sat in solitude much longer than he had originally thought.

A loud squeal caught his attention. Sesshomaru turned his gaze to the pool just in time to see a familiar green streak fly through the air and hit the water, causing an impressive splash. A second later, a sputtering Jaken paddled his way to the ladder and pulled himself out of the water, his ever-present hat and staff now sitting at the bottom of the deep end.

"Who did that? I swear I'll have my vengeance on you if it's the last thing I do! My Lord Sesshomaru will avenge me and-" Inuyasha casually nudged the imp back into the pool as he walked by. Kagome, who normally would have taken the hanyou to task for something like that, merely crossed her arms and glared at the ripples where Jaken had disappeared the second time.

When he reemerged from the pool, cursing loudly, she picked him up by his sodden robes and shook him vigorously. "You little pervert! You're lucky he got to you first! You better hope Sesshomaru gets out here to stop me before I decide to take my vengeance on _you_!"

The little toad paled under his green skin. Sesshomaru couldn't blame him; the female was a force to be reckoned with when she was angry. Inuyasha, who had come up to him, leaned in and whispered in his ear. "Your imp was hiding in the bushes and doing some very naughty things while watching our females. He should count himself lucky he's your lackey or else I'd have killed him right there."

"I will speak to him about this behavior."

Satisfied, the half-breed stalked back to his wife, who was still cursing and shaking Jaken. Inuyasha plucked him from her grip and tossed him back in the pool. Kohaku took the spot where Inuyasha had been standing next to Sesshomaru and held out a bottle in offering. Mentally shrugging, he took the beer.

"The green guy seems like a lot of trouble," Kohaku observed as said imp climbed out of the pool for a third time.

Sesshomaru nodded once. "Yes, but he has his uses, as far and few between as they may be." The human chuckled, quickly going silent. Even though he was human, Kohaku wasn't that bad of company. He seemed to value silence almost as much as Sesshomaru himself, albeit for very different reasons. From what he had been able to gather, some tragedy in the male's past still affected him. Whatever the reason, he didn't feel the need to fill empty space with inane chatter.

Jaken stumbled over to his master, his sodden robes leaving a wet trail behind him on the deck. "My Lord! Did you see how that half-breed and the filthy human girl manhandled me back there? As I am your humble servant, I assume you will be avenging my honor and-"

"Jaken. Be quiet."

"Yes, milord! I told you last night that I will endeavor to never disobey you again and-"

"Jaken."

"Y- Yes, milord?"

"You insult the human women now, but you seemed to be enjoying them just a moment prior." Kohaku raised his brows and looked down at the flustered imp.

Stammering for a suitably appropriate reply, Jaken shook in terror. "M- My Lord, you cannot p- possibly believe the word of the half-breed over your faithful servant! I have served your every whim for centuries! You are the bravest, most fair, wisest, most perfect being and…"

Sesshomaru took a long swallow of the beer and rolled his eyes as Jaken regaled him with tales of his greatness. Kohaku snickered behind his bottle at the description of his prowess on the battlefield and in certain other _activities_, but he couldn't get upset over it. The toad had an incredible way of inflating his smallest action into the Greatest Feat Ever Accomplished By Anyone In The History Of The World.

For example, centuries ago Sesshomaru had slain a minor demon that had disrespected him. The badger demon was so weak it took no more than a single flick of a claw to end him. Over the years, Jaken had built the story up so that it seemed he had defeated a monster the size of a skyscraper in three days of twenty-four hour combat. Sometimes, if he was bored enough, he would have Jaken tell him of his past adventures and see if he could pare the story down to what had really happened.

"Jaken."

The imp stopped mid-word. "Milord?"

"I do not make threats. I make promises. If I find you have done anything like this ever again, I will kill you."

Predictably, the imp threw himself at Sesshomaru's feet. "My Lord, I shall never seek to embarrass you as long as I live! You are the kindest master I could have for understanding that this was all a mistake and-"

"Jaken."

Wiping the tears from his eyes, he stood. "Milord?"

"Be gone. I will call when I have need of you." The imp bowed and scraped his way off the patio and into the darkness. Ignoring the muttered comments about filthy humans and stupid females, Sesshomaru turned his attention back to the pool, where the game that had been interrupted by Jaken's abrupt entrance had restarted. Claws threatened to show and tell-tale burning started behind his eyes. Taking a deep breath, he beat the snarling dog into submission, all the while cursing that he had to do so. He had made a decision and would stick by it.

Rin was perched atop Bankotsu's shoulders, his hands wrapped around her thighs. They grappled with Miroku and Kagome in a game of chicken. Inuyasha shouted something encouraging to Kagome while Sango told Miroku he better watch where his hands were going. Sesshomaru couldn't take his eyes off his female.

**:MAAAATE:**

_Dammit, SHUT UP!_

**:MUST KILL HUMAN:**

_SHUT UP, DOG!_

The demon paced furiously inside his skull, howling maniacally. Sesshomaru agreed wholeheartedly, as loathe as he was to admit it. Even though he had just found some sort of resolution he could live with for the long-term, the short-term problems were rearing their ugly head. The sight of Bankotsu's hands on her infuriated him. He should be the one touching her. Her legs wrapped around the human's head made him see red, literally. _His_ head should be between her thighs, but he would be facing inward.

As she and Kagome fought to knock each other over, the men underneath them tried to keep their balance. After a powerful shove from Kagome, Bankotsu stumbled backwards and Rin squealed as she was dumped into the water. A cheer went up as Miroku did a victory lap with Kagome still on his shoulders.

Rin and Bankotsu surfaced, laughing and brushing strands of hair out of their faces. Sesshomaru had to grit his teeth against the growl that wanted to escape as they hugged. Hands that weren't his wrapped around her waist and swung her around in a circle. Suddenly Bankotsu dipped underneath the water again and Rin's hands shot under right after.

She shrieked and lurched forward as she was lifted from the water once more, Bankotsu between her legs again. He yelled a challenge at Miroku and they got into position. As the two women lunged for each other, wide grins and laughter evidencing the fun everyone was having, Sesshomaru found he couldn't take it any longer. He chugged the last of his beer and went inside, tossing the empty bottle in the trash as he passed.

The dog was demanding he go back outside and show Rin who she should be on top of. That fucking human… he was in serious danger and he had no idea. As much as he hated having any secrets about him known among his family, at least he knew that they would keep their mouths shut about it. Rin wouldn't say anything to the human because she was probably convinced that he wanted nothing to do with her after their time in the music room. That couldn't possibly be farther from the truth.

He wanted to blame that on her, even though the logical part of his brain knew none of this was her fault. She just smelled too damn good, was too damn cute, tasted wonderful, was so responsive, could hold her own against the most willful bitch he had ever met…

**:MY MAAAAATE:**

He couldn't find the motivation to fight with his demon on that right now, especially as worked up as he was about Bankotsu. Really, he knew the human couldn't hold a candle to him in comparison, but his gut wrenched every time he saw the two of them together. He wanted nothing more than to let the dog take form and to fly with the clouds, but that was the last thing he should do. In that form, the dog was dominant and right now, the first thing it would do would be go eat the human and claim its perceived mate.

The dog growled at Sesshomaru refusing to let it out. A maid taking advantage of the impromptu pool party looked up with alarm as he passed, shutting down the vacuum and scurrying away. With the noisy machine off, the low growl he was emitting became clear. Giving himself a mental slap, he took a deep breath and tried to get back under control. This was getting out of hand. No doubt the story of him growling would be all over the house by morning. Servants loved to gossip about their employers; it was true hundreds of years ago and time didn't make it less so.

Retracing his steps to the library, Sesshomaru grabbed a book off of Rin's section and sauntered back to his room, the mask of indifference firmly in place. He made it without seeing any more staff and settled into an overstuffed chair, losing himself in an expertly crafted book.

A couple hours later, when Sesshomaru was just getting to a steamy sex scene and mentally replacing the hero and heroine with himself and Rin, a quiet knock sounded on his door. Swearing, he marked the page and opened the door, fully prepared to curse whoever had disturbed him. The words died on his tongue as he saw a mostly naked Rin, wrapped only in a bath towel.

-x-

_Oh, crap._

Rin stared up at Sesshomaru in total shock. His eyes were as wide as hers felt, so she didn't feel quite so stupid. Then she remembered her current state of dress –or _undress_- and her embarrassment retuned tenfold. Her entire body blushed as total mortification set in. If she had any idea this room was Sesshomaru's, she would have avoided it like the plague. The last thing she wanted was to parade around mostly naked in front of a man who didn't want her. Ugh, this sucked.

"Uh, hi." She gave him a weak smile, which he didn't return. Not surprising, all things considered. "My shower quit and I just need to finish. Can I use yours? It shouldn't take me long and I'll be gone."

He stepped aside and waved an arm. "Of course." She hurried past him and into the bathroom, hoping that she wasn't leaving a trail of soap bubbles behind her. Closing the door behind her, she stepped into the opulent shower and turned the spray on full blast. Shampoo sluiced out of her hair and down the drain.

She popped open the bottle of conditioner sitting on a small shelf and breathed in the masculine scent. Apparently, the house stocked different supplies for girls and boys. As she ran her hands through the heavy fall of hair, she imagined Sesshomaru in the shower. Did he care for his hair as tenderly as she always did? Did he like all the jets on, like her? Did he go into full sauna-mode like Rin, with water so hot the entire room fogged?

_Yeah, like you'll have a chance to find out. He doesn't want you, remember?_

Rin sighed at the internal voice. Even though she had cried herself out earlier –twice!- some itty-bitty part of her still held out some small hope that he was only acting out of some stupid centuries-old demon-human prejudice and actually craved her as much as she did him. Still, that was no excuse for him to be such an asshole! Having been around men who thought being a jerk was cool when she was younger, the novelty of the out-and-out 'bad boy' had lost its appeal. They were still sexy, but just not what she was looking for at this point in her life.

Oh, well. It wasn't the end of the world if some ridiculously hot demon didn't want her. There were perfectly wonderful human men out there that wouldn't mind being with her. Bankotsu, for one. He had made his intentions perfectly clear today, even if he hadn't voiced them. He was nice, funny, courteous, and didn't try anything inappropriate when they were playing chicken.

To be honest, Rin hadn't really felt like playing pool games, but after the emotionally charged day it served as a distraction from her thoughts. The only time they had intruded is when Inuyasha threw the little green demon into the pool. Then she had noticed Sesshomaru having a beer with Kohaku. It took all her willpower, but she ignored him and went back to playing after everyone was reasonably sure Jaken wouldn't end up in the water again.

This fascination she had was driving her crazy. They just met yesterday and he was on her mind constantly. If this was a sign of the week to come, by the time they left she would be a slavering fool for him. Not that she hadn't made an ass of herself earlier, or anything. Kissing him had been a huge mistake, even if it had been the right thing at the time. Throwing herself into his arms after the Q&A earlier was mistake number two. The whole piano incident was mistake number three. She may as well have a stamp on her forehead that read 'FOOL FOR HOT DEMONS'.

After turning off the shower, Rin squeezed as much water out of her mass of hair as she could and rubbed the towel over her body quickly, eager to get as far from the tempting man on the other side of the bathroom door as possible. Not that she could have gotten too far away, seeing as he was across the hall from her.

A sudden thought occurred to her and her jaw dropped. When she was crying earlier, she had heard soft footsteps and the door across from her close. He had heard her bawling after the piano incident. _Oh, man. This just keeps getting better and better, doesn't it?_

Making sure the towel was securely wrapped and covering everything, she stepped back into the bedroom. Sesshomaru was seated in a fluffy chair, reading. He looked up as she entered and she could almost swear there was a hint of red in the corners of his eyes.

"Thank you. My shower lost all pressure right in the middle of washing my hair. I'll speak to Taisho about it in the morning. Goodnight, Sesshomaru."

"Rin."

His deep voice stopped her headlong flight for her own room, but she didn't look at him. "Yes?"

"Stay. We must speak."

Raising an eyebrow, she turned to face him. "Must we? I think you made your feelings perfectly clear earlier. I'm only human, remember?" She tried to suppress the bitterness in her tone, but it proved impossible to contain.

He had the grace to wince at that. Well, his eye twitched fractionally, but that was equal to a normal person's full body shudder. "I spoke rashly. Please, sit, so we may speak of my meaning."

"No." His eyes widened at her refusal. Apparently, he was not used to being denied. But, on the other hand, this had to be worked out if they were to see each other constantly for the rest of the week. "I'm going to get dressed, then I'll come back."

He relaxed slightly, a small loosening of wire-tight muscles. "Very well." He turned back to his book and she left, closing the door softly behind her.

Once safely behind her own door, Rin took a series of deep breaths, trying to slow her racing heart. God, his voice… and when he said her name… A shiver ran down her spine at what she imagined his low growl would sound like as he thrust into her, calling her name as he came deep inside…

_Snap out of it, Rin!_

Shaking her head to clear it, she scoffed at the direction of her thoughts. She was a romantic to the core, which was how she managed to write novels that garnered her a rabidly loyal fan base, but she _wrote_ the stories, she didn't _live_ them. Very, very few ever did, and she was under no delusions that she would have a storybook happily-ever-after ending. Especially if that jerk was to be involved.

Picking out a camisole and a pair of comfy pajama pants was easy, but now she bemoaned following Kagome's advice and packing only sexy undies. Not that she was one for granny-panties, and not that Sesshomaru was going to see her underwear, but _she_ would know. Sighing, she grabbed a pair of light blue boyshorts that matched her sleeping set. After brushing her hair and stepping into her favorite pair of fluorescent green slippers that were to-die-for comfortable and matched absolutely nothing, she knocked on Sesshomaru's door lightly. He answered instantly and waved her in.

Silently, he moved back to his chair and sat down. She took the one opposite and glanced at his book. Of course, it just had to be another one of her sexier books. Why, oh, why couldn't he have picked one that wasn't rife with love scenes?

Sesshomaru followed her line of sight to the book and his lips quirked. "You are quite the talented writer, Miss Kimura. I never imagined I would voluntarily read romance."

"Thank you, but let's skip the small talk. What is this?" She waved a hand back and forth between them. "What are we doing here?"

A brow quirked. "I believe we are here to talk about what happened earlier."

Rin glared at him, her eyes narrowing dangerously. "Don't get all nit-picky with my words. You know exactly what I mean."

"Very well. I do not relish speaking much, so bear with me. I am not mated to you," his eyes closed and he was silent for a moment before continuing, "My demon, however, is incited to near frenzy when you are near. This is unbearable for me, and why I reacted as I did earlier."

She was unbearable to be around. Great. Rin just looked at him, waiting for more explanation before she blew up on him.

Sesshomaru took her silence for the hint it was. "This is very hard for me to articulate. You… call to me, make my demon want to take you. I have never had to fight my instincts as I have with you. Only one person has ever affected me as such and even then it was only after their demise that the demon made it's feelings clear."

"And so the piano thing was… what?"

"I pride myself on my control. This is the first thing anyone learns about me, and I am sure you are already aware of this." He paused for confirmation and she nodded. "I lost control in there. The demon took over and we would have rutted on you until that piano broke underneath us, then continued among the remains. You would have come out of that room fully mated and not left my bed for the remainder of the trip."

Rin's eyes widened as he spoke. The dog had it really bad for her. "Okay, so let's say that I'm not your mate and that your demon is wrong. What happens then?"

"If it has its way, you will be mated regardless. What _will_ happen is that we will continue on as we are and I will attempt to not kill every male in this house who puts his eyes on you."

"And if I am your mate and you're wrong? What if you're only hurting both of us with this refusal to admit it?"

He took a deep breath. "I have suffered through worse. Your …longing… should cease as soon as we are no longer in such close proximity."

Rin didn't think he was aware, but every time he spoke of not mating her, his brow furrowed and his voice took on a strained tone, as if he was fighting the demon as they spoke. It was painful to watch, so she couldn't imagine how hard it was to fight it herself. If he wanted to be hardheaded about it, though, he deserved every bit of it. Steeling her resolve, she voiced the question for which she was terrified of the answer. "Your demon wants me; I get that. What about you?"

Sesshomaru just looked at her. Red bled into the corners of his eyes as he perused her from head to toe. Uncomfortable with this minute inspection, Rin crossed her arms and looked away. She could feel the uncomfortable weight of his gaze on her and was about to leave when he spoke.

"I want you so much it drives me to distraction. This evening, Bankotsu was courting death and had no idea. If any man looks at you, I want to tear out his eyes. If any man touches you, I want to rip off his arms. If any man was to bed you, I would kill him. But I cannot have you."

His eyes were glowing red by the time he was finished. Rin's mouth worked open and closed silently, unsure of how to take his statement. She had always known that demons were possessive, canine demons especially so, but she had no idea how deep it actually ran. Part of her was appalled at the domineering aspect of the whole thing, but another part relished the thought of having someone so devoted to her.

"Why not try it?" The question was out before she knew what she would say, and he seemed at shocked as Rin herself.

"I cannot risk mating you. It would be impossible not to mark you."

"I thought you were in control." The challenge came out easily. Clearly, her brain had gone on autopilot and was bypassing all the filters to her mouth.

His eyes narrowed and fingers flexed. "I am, but you truly bring out the demon in me."

"Let me get this straight: You might have found your mate, someone your demon resonates with, and you're going to pass up the opportunity because your demon likes the idea of being with her? Because she's human? That's just stupid."

Sesshomaru's upper lip curled slightly. "You are playing with fire, woman," he growled. "Do not push me."

Rin kept talking, ignoring his warning. "I mean, really. If I never tried anything because part of me liked it, I never would have become an author, never would have come on this trip, never would have done anything. Is that all you're going to do, be contrary to your instincts just for the sake of being contrary? Or is it just because I'm human and you aren't? There are three demon-human couples here who seem quite happy. But what do I know, I'm only human, after all."

She was playing a dangerous game and knew it. By this point, Sesshomaru's eyes were blazing, his fingers curled into fists, his breathing harsh with a hint of growl. The lump in his jeans was proof that some part of him enjoyed her baiting, even if he didn't want to admit it. She was enjoying it as well, her heart racing and a small tingle settling in her center.

His nostrils flared and she knew he smelled it. His lips pulled back in a grotesque grin, reminding her of the Joker. "Rrrrrin," her name rolled off his tongue with a growl, "You have one chance to leave. Take it now."

Watching him warily, she stood and slowly backed towards the door. His eyes followed her every movement, his tight grip on the arms of his chair making it squeak in protest. "Fine, I'll go. Let me know when you decide to pull your head out of your ass."

A feral growl was his only response as she left. Just as the door closed behind her, there was a loud crash in the room. Rin jumped at the clamor and let out a breath she hadn't realized she had been holding. Maybe she couldn't handle a demon and really was deluding herself.


	7. Let the Games Begin

**A/N:** Sorry for the long wait. My laptop died and took all my files with it, and it's taken me a while to rewrite this and a few other stories. It's really hard to get back in the swing of things, and hopefully I'll be able to start updating more regularly again. This one is a lot shorter than usual, but I plan on the next few chapters making up for it. Thanks for sticking it out with me!

* * *

><p>"Men are stupid."<p>

Rin nodded her agreement. Kagome had to deal with Inuyasha, who regularly lost all signs of intelligence, and Sesshomaru was proving to be the same. Picking up another book and scrawling her signature, Rin decided she was going to push that damn demon with everything she had.

Last night she had a breakthrough in her writing, leading to a personal revelation. When Ramona, the female lead, had insisted on a specific course of action with Alexei, the formerly emo vampire, she had stuck to her guns and was proving to be even more of a true heroine than Rin had anticipated she would be.

Taking a lesson from the fictional character was easy; actually putting it into action would be another matter entirely. Sesshomaru was so entrenched in his ages-old mindset that even Taisho and Izzy had asked her to work something out with him. It was a pretty sad situation when a man's family had to get outside help to drag him into the 21st century.

"How should I go about this?" Rin didn't have to explain what she was talking about. The two women had been discussing it all morning.

Kagome shrugged. "He was a jerk. But he's also a demon. If his instincts have chosen you, it's pretty inevitable that he won't be able to stay away. Make him realize what he wants."

"Sounds like you have a plan already."

"I do. He'll be eating out of your hand." As Rin listened to Kagome's idea, she couldn't help but grin at the feeling it was going to be a damn good day.

-x-

Sesshomaru was having a bad day.

It would have been slightly more tolerable if he had gotten any sleep the night before, but thoughts of that damn female ran circles around his mind for hours. His demon hadn't behaved any better as it raged against his letting Rin leave. Hell, he wasn't even able to shower in peace because her scent was all over the bathroom.

Breakfast was an exercise in patience. Rin was curiously absent and everyone else was chattering on about all the fun they had in the pool. Sesshomaru had to restrain himself from disemboweling Bankotsu when the human commented on the game he had played with Rin. The self-satisfied smirk on his face had Sesshomaru gripping his coffee mug so tightly the ceramic protested as it neared the breaking point.

After the meal he had every intention of letting the dog out to play before the punishment of a team-building activity was forced upon him later. Unfortunately, Taisho followed him outside and some distance from the house, lecturing on some obscure point that he no doubt felt would help with the situation. Sesshomaru listened with half of his attention, the other part of his mind considering the many ways it would be possible to kill all of the single males in the house without implicating himself in the process. Even that could only occupy his ever-active mind for so long and he eventually started processing what Taisho was saying.

"…only you and Jaken for so long, it's about time someone caught your eye and you should count yourself lucky it's a woman who seems to be kind and understanding, especially considering-"

"Is there a point to this?"

A single eyebrow raised at the question. "Just offering some friendly advice, son."

Sesshomaru wanted advice as much as wanted another Jaken which was to say, not at all. Advice wasn't needed. Companionship wasn't needed. Teamwork activities weren't needed. What _was_ needed was some alone time, and nobody seemed inclined to allow him any.

Taisho only left when Jaken waddled up to them, screeching over some perceived insult from one of the household employees. Resisting the urge to bang his head on a tree, Sesshomaru let the imp complain for several minutes. Eventually the toad had to take a breath.

"Jaken."

"Yes, milord?"

"Why are you telling me this?"

"Because I am your faithful servant, Lord Sesshomaru, and I know you will not allow these repulsive human dogs to besmirch my honor and-"

Sesshomaru growled and Jaken broke off his rant. "Repulsive _dogs_?"

The toad paled impossibly fast and shook under an intense red glare. "M- My apologies, milord! Please forgive your humble servant! I misspoke and would never intentionally say anything to provoke your anger!" He threw himself at Sesshomaru's feet. "My Lord, I beg your forgiveness! I would never seek to insult your illustrious heritage by calling anyone-"

"Jaken."

"Milord?"

"Get up." Sesshomaru waited until the imp was no longer leaking green snot before continuing. "I do not care what perceived slight occurred. I did not call for your presence, so I no longer require it."

It took a moment for the meaning of his words to sink into Jaken's brain. "You- You want me to leave, milord?" he asked, his lower beak trembling slightly.

"I require solitude, which requires I be alone."

"Yes, milord." He turned and trudged away slowly, head hung low. Sesshomaru could hear soft sniffles coming from him but refused to acknowledge them.

He resisted to tiny part of himself that insisted he call Jaken back and make him feel better. The rest of him was instantly angry at the sliver of compassion that had unexpectedly popped up. The Great Lord Sesshomaru was going soft! He was the son of the Great Dog Demon, Heir to the Western Lands, and had so many fancy titles it was nigh impossible to recite them all. He was no household mutt to be tamed.

At a temporary loss for any activity to distract himself from any stray thoughts, he resorted to one of his old pastimes. Finding a nearby tree with a convenient gap between roots, Sesshomaru made himself comfortable in the small hollow and raised one knee. His head fell back against the rough bark as his eyes drifted shut. The pacing demon in his mind laid down as well, fully at ease with the familiar sensation. Using a technique refined to perfection by centuries of heavy use, he allowed his thoughts to run freely and observed the patterns and overall tenor of the information.

Unsurprisingly, most of it revolved around the female-

**:MINE MY MATE:**

-and the rest was tangentially related to work. Seeing himself from an 'outside' point of view put a lot of things in perspective. While he didn't particularly like being treated like he had gone insane, he could understand why he was. The recent changes in behavior were disturbing, to say the very least.

A soft breeze swirled through the trees, the leaves rustling slightly. Birds chirped loudly at each other as they squabbled over an insect. A squirrel chittered somewhere above, complaining loudly. Some part of Sesshomaru noted all these occurrences and filed them away, a habit that had saved him from ambush many a time. With the dog comforted he slipped into a semi-trance state, drifting among his thoughts and processing them from a purely analytical standpoint.

It took a moment for the conscious part of his mind to realize he wasn't alone anymore. The dog perked up at the familiar scent and Sesshomaru cursed inwardly. Upset at the interruption, he came out of the meditative state and opened his eyes.

Rin laid in the grass a few feet in front of him, scribbling in a notebook. He wasn't one much to notice women's clothing except to notice if the female looked good or not, but it was almost involuntary how his eyes roamed over her. The low-cut jeans looked painted on. The tight tank top was his favorite shade of crimson red and had ridden up a bit so the tiny dimples in the small of her back were visible. The dog yearned to taste the dips; Sesshomaru wasn't going to disagree.

Rolling her shoulders, Rin turned her head and started when she saw his eyes were open. "Oh, hi, Sesshomaru. I didn't realize you were awake."

"I was not sleeping."

"No?"

"No. Meditating."

She instantly looked contrite. "I'm sorry! I thought you were taking a nap." He didn't reply and she continued after a moment. "I came out to brainstorm and saw you sitting there and… well… thought you might need some company."

"While the sentiment is wholly appreciated, it was unnecessary." The dog snarled as her face fell, cursing him for upsetting the female. The snarling turned into a full-fledged tantrum as she gathered her pens and notebook, preparing to rise. He sighed inwardly.

"It has been a rough morning. Stay if you desire."

A large grin met his words and she resettled. "Oh, I desire, alright," she said, her eyes flicking up and down his body. Both Sesshomaru and the dog were struck speechless at this. It was no comparison to some of what Kagura hurled at him on a regular basis but the double entendre was not lost on him.

Her grin softened into a small smile. "I got woken up so the repair guy could work on the pipes. I guess one sprung a leak and a staff member found the linen closet underneath my bathroom flooded. I got an idea and had to come out here to work; I can't think with as much noise as he was making in there. Why was your morning rough?"

At the mention of her shower problems his mind immediately flashed back to the sight of Rin wrapped in nothing but a towel. Her legs were long and slim, just like he liked. Her hair just brushed her lower back when it was wet and had contrasted brilliantly with her porcelain skin. Suddenly, Sesshomaru was glad his one leg was lifted, or else she would have seen how much he enjoyed looking at her.

He tapped his finger on a thigh with practiced nonchalance. "Certain people have no respect for personal space and the need for privacy."

"Kagura?" she asked, her voice taking on a rough edge. The dog was thrilled with her obvious jealousy.

"My father and Jaken."

"I'm sure Taisho just means well, and Jaken isn't that bad, is he?"

Sesshomaru raised one eyebrow. "Regardless of his intentions, my father has no business interfering in my personal affairs. Jaken, however, is another matter entirely."

Rin cocked her head slightly, as if in thought. "Your personal affairs? Does that mean what I think it means?"

"I have no idea what you think, so I cannot say."

"Advice involving a certain female guest, I presume?"

He blinked slowly, surprised at her leap of logic. She was incredibly astute when compared to most young females he had ever associated with. "You presume correctly."

"And Jaken?"

Releasing a long-suffering sigh, he shrugged with one shoulder. "He had some sort of complaint over something one of the staff said. Then he insulted me grievously."

"Oh my. What did you do?"

"Nothing." Both of their eyes widened in surprise at that. Sesshomaru hadn't consciously realized that Jaken wasn't punished for his transgression. Hopefully the imp wouldn't take the unfortunate oversight as permission to say anything like that again. He stood and brushed off the stray bits of dirt and leaves stuck to his pants.

He held one hand out in offering to help Rin rise. She took it and stumbled into his chest, one hand splayed over his stomach. His free hand found its way to her waist and settled in the curve as her scent wrapped around his mind and refused to let go, much to the demon's joy. Ignoring the dog, he drank in the sight of her, the thick hair haphazardly piled and held up with a pen, the deep chocolate eyes that searched his face in the same way he was doing hers, the high cheekbones and small nose. His gaze finally settled on the slightly parted pink lips and coherent thought escaped him.

Her head tilted up in silent invitation. Slowly, he lowered his head, giving her time to change her mind if she wanted. Standing up on her tiptoes, she met him halfway and he was lost. This was no frenzied mauling like the piano incident; it was an exploration, a slow and tender caress. Her mouth was soft and yielding under his as he pulled her closer.

He nipped her lower lip and soothed the small hurt with his tongue. Hers darted out to meet it and they danced together, wringing all sorts of delightful noises from her. She ran her teeth across his tongue and he growled, renewing his attack on her mouth.

Just when he was considering pulling her down on top of him or backing her against the tree, she broke contact. As she leaned her forehead against his chest, they both breathed heavily, panting harshly into the relative silence of the trees. When she backed away, Sesshomaru was reluctant to let her go.

She smiled a little Mona Lisa smile and picked up her notebook. "Not too bad, demon. Later."

Sesshomaru's jaw dropped as she walked away, watching her hips sway to her own private rhythm. The dog was just as surprised as he was. Not too bad? _Not too bad?_ Snapping his mouth closed with an audible click, anger rose within him.

How dare she walk away from him! That female was treading on thin ice. He would show her who could walk away from him… nobody. He whirled around and punched the tree, sending the branches above waving wildly. The dog howled at her sudden absence, demanding that he follow her and bring her back to finish what was started. That little tease was-

_Wait a moment._ A sudden thought occurred and he smiled ruefully. That minx was _baiting_ him. She didn't know what she was in for if she wanted to play that game. Rin might have gotten to him this time around, but he knew what she was doing and could work around it now.

**:MATE:**

Or maybe not.


	8. When Tempers Flare

**A/N:** Hey everyone, long time no see! Sorry for the super-long delay in updating. I really don't have any particular reason except that I got addicted to CrunchyRoll and my ebook reader... so, yeah. Since I've kept you waiting for so long, I'll keep you no longer than I have to.

This chapter was difficult to write, mostly because I love Kagura. However, she just had to have her say and well, you'll see how well that works out for her. This is a bit shorter than I wanted it to be, but if I didn't stop here the chapter would be insanely long. If all goes as planned, the next installment should hold some of the citrusy-goodness I know you've been waiting for.

As always, I own nothing with regards to Inuyasha (except for my cute little Sesshy-flower necklace that I adore) and make no profit from any of this crap I write. Reviews are love, and all constructive criticism is appreciated. Enjoy!

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><p>She could feel his eyes on her.<p>

Ever since her little triumph in the field, Rin had pointedly ignored him and made sure that there was no possible way he could do the same to her. Courtesy of Kagome and Inuyasha, she now knew all of Sesshomaru's favorite places in the house and, under the pretext of exploration, went down the list until she found him. She never stayed long, just greeted him and left, but she could always feel his gaze as she walked away. All yesterday and most of today she had put herself in his way.

He had to know what she was doing. He was too intelligent not to see it. Flaunting her pursuit wasn't part of the plan, but she wasn't going to deny it; besides, it was plain to see if anyone cared to pay attention. _Hopefully Kagura isn't looking for anything._ The sorceress had plastered herself to his side at the group meeting today and refused to take his no for an answer. Even though she couldn't help but feel bad for them both –Kagura for her inability to see his disinterest, Sesshomaru for having to put up with her increasingly intimate pushing- it was kind of funny to watch from the outside.

Kagome had warned Rin off of acting like anything resembling Kagura. Seeing the wisdom of the advice, she took it gratefully. Indifference would get her further with him than anything else, separating herself from all of the other women that had pursued him with a single-minded determination before.

Bankotsu finished his story and Rin laughed, smacking his arm playfully. Risking a glance at Sesshomaru, she was dismayed to see him glaring at her companion. If looks could kill, Bankotsu would have been nothing more than a smoking hole in the carpet. Kagura hung on the demon's sleeve, blathering on about something, completely oblivious to him ignoring her.

Excusing herself politely, Rin made her way outside to a shaded area underneath an ancient oak. Closing her eyes, she listened to the birds twittering above her and the breeze rustling through the leaves. Her mind drifted and she listened carefully to the random thoughts, always alert for any ideas that could be spun into a story, but it always came back around to Sesshomaru.

No longer convinced of the brilliance of her and Kagome's "ignore-him-until-he-realizes-he-needs-you" plan, she was concerned about the effect it may have on Bankotsu. Somehow in their scheming, they forgot to take into account that Sesshomaru would see the other man as a threat and his demon would demand violence. Had she unwittingly put Bankotsu in danger? Rin had no intentions of being with him, but using him for her own purposes was just wrong and shame crept up on her.

The snap of a twig broke her reverie and she opened her eyes to see Sesshomaru standing calmly with his hands behind his back, looking better than anyone had a right to in jeans and a t-shirt with some obscure band logo. He didn't say anything.

Rin crossed her arms. "Why did you follow me?" Silence answered her and she huffed in annoyance. "Listen, the whole strong-and-silent thing you have going on really isn't doing it for me right now, so if you don't have anything to say, just go."

His left eyebrow twitched slightly, his only reaction to her harsh words. "I will not have that human pawing at you like an animal."

"He wasn't! I know we kissed yesterday, but that doesn't mean you can tell me who I can and can't talk to. You made it abundantly clear that you nothing to do with me because I'm _human_, but when I talk to someone else, you go all caveman on me! Either you want me or you don't, Sesshomaru. It isn't going to be both ways."

His eyes widened at her tirade and she was surprised as well. Where had that anger come from all of a sudden? Apparently she was still upset over the whole piano incident. Rin stood and brushed the dirt off her jeans. Sesshomaru watched her, his expression carefully blank.

Unable to stand the ever-present silence, Rin sighed wearily. "Fine. Since you won't talk I will, and you'll listen. I like you. A lot. You know this. But you're a demon, and I'm not. I don't know if you're a racist or a species-ist or whatever you'd call it, but regardless, I don't appreciate it either way. I'm not going to pant at your heels like some others I could mention, but I'm not going anywhere for five more days. If you want to see where this attraction goes, fine. If not, that's fine too, but don't you dare even _think_ about doing anything to whoever I talk to."

His jaw moved slightly, as if he was grinding his teeth. She waited for him to say something, _anything_, to put her mind at ease. Rin was done tormenting herself over Sesshomaru if he couldn't get over this human-demon thing. Although it made for great story fodder, it sucked in real life.

After a couple minutes of charged silence, Rin took a deep breath and walked around the demon, content with the realization that he wasn't going to get over himself, even if she wasn't happy with his decision.

She didn't make it three steps.

A low growl sounded as a pair of strong arms grabbed her around the waist and pressed her back against the tree. Warm lips descended on her, distended fangs nipping at her mouth lightly. The knot in her guts uncoiled as she wrapped her arms around his neck, her fingers tangling in the silky fall of silver hair.

Clawed fingers inched up her shirt and scratched her skin gently, settling in the curve of her waist. He pulled her lower body against his, his enjoyment evident in the lump pressed against her hip. The sensation kicked her brain into gear and she released her grip on his hair. Pressing against his shoulders, she broke the kiss, letting her head fall back against the rough bark.

"Sesshomaru, you can't just… ah-" Denied access to her mouth, his clever lips found their way to her neck and suckled at her pulse. "Stop. Sessh… stop, please."

Groaning, he released her neck and pulled back a few inches, looking down at her with blazing red eyes. "What?" His voice was lower than usual and had a husky timbre that sent a shiver of excitement down her spine.

"You can't just molest me after everything that happened."

"Why not? You seem to be enjoying it."

Her jaw dropped in astonishment. Did this man's ego know no bounds? "You aren't going to be with a human, so don't do this crap to me. I know what I want and I know what you want, and they aren't the same. I'm not going to be some toy for your amusement."

Sesshomaru closed his eyes and breathed deeply. "I will make no promises for the future, Rin, but I will say that I cannot refrain from harming the other males for much longer. I know what game you played and I do not find it amusing. However, I cannot deny this."

"So… no going caveman and we'll just see where this goes?"

"Precisely."

Rin chewed her lip thoughtfully, noting how his eyes darted to the movement. "Okay." She barely got the word out before he attacked her again, the full force of his desire barreling into her. The hands at her waist lifted her up with ease and her legs wrapped around his hips.

Distantly she felt movement and ignored it, more concerned with tasting the hint of wine on his tongue, the last remnants of dinner. Suddenly the world tilted and she broke their desperate kiss to squeak in surprise. Sesshomaru laid her down in a small clearing a little way into the forest and lowered himself between her legs, his hair cascading over them like a curtain screening them from the rest of the world.

Instead of the frenzied joining of a few minutes ago this kiss was soft and sweet, teasing a reaction out of her. One hand traveled up and down her side outlining the swell of a breast, the gentle curve of her hip. Rin's hands wandered over his body, marveling at the wiry strength in his lean frame. Unabashedly, she yanked his shirt up and traced the muscles in his abdomen. He growled against her mouth when she scraped him with her nails.

The slight sound sent them both into a fervor. Sesshomaru sat up and pulled his shirt off in one swift movement. Rin fumbled with the buttons of her shirt, cursing at her clumsy attempts. With deft fingers, the demon quickly solved the problem, spreading the cloth open to reveal her creamy skin and full breasts encased in a lacy black bra. Seeing the look on his face, Rin said a silent thanks to Kagome for insisting she bring the sexy undies.

He came back down on top of her, nipping her earlobe instead of her lips. A small moan escaped her as he feasted on the tender skin of her throat, working his way down. One hand snaked its way under her and unhooked the lacy cloth.

Rin had to laugh at his expression when he realized that even though her shirt was open, it was still on and the bra wasn't going anywhere. With a deep growl, he pulled her up and divested her of the offending clothing.

"Think that is funny, do you?"

She giggled and shifted her hips against his. "Lighten up. Sex is funny. And you should have seen your face."

His lips twitched. "You want funny? I'll show you funny." He pushed her back to the ground and lowered his head to her chest. He took a nipple in his mouth and teased it with his tongue. A spear of lust ran to her center and she moaned loudly when a fang scraped the tender flesh.

Talented fingers plucked the other nipple, sending shocks through her as his claws pricked her. Her hands were entwined in his hair, pressing his head to her chest. Her hips shifted against his without any conscious thought and he bit down softly, eliciting a gasp of pleasure from her. Tightening her fingers, she pulled him away from her breast, a wet pop sounding as the suction released.

Rin reclaimed his mouth with enthusiasm. Releasing one hand, she snaked it between their bodies to where their hips shifted against each other and traced the shape of the bulge stroking her most intimate parts. He shuddered, freezing for a moment as she rubbed him through the denim.

"Rrrriiin…" The raspy groan was easily one of the sexiest things she had ever heard. Even if they went no further than this, the way he said her name, rolling the 'R' and drawing it out almost as if in prayer, would keep her fantasies fueled for quite a while.

Suddenly Sesshomaru pulled back and growled menacingly at something off to his left. Rin turned to look and yelped in surprise. Onigumo stood there, eyes averted and his hands raised in a gesture of peace. She fumbled for her bra and shirt as Sesshomaru poised for an attack, blocking the human's view of her. When she was covered, she touched his shoulder and the demon relaxed from his crouch and stood, still glowering at the uninvited guest.

"What do you want, human?" Sesshomaru's voice was still husky from desire, but laced with a seething anger. He stepped in front of Rin, mostly shielding her from his sight.

"Nothing. I was just walking the trails and heard something and came to see. That's all."

Sesshomaru growled. "I should kill you for this transgression." Rin sucked in a breath. He couldn't possibly mean that, could he?

Onigumo smirked. "You could. Or you could decide to not let your woman see you like that. Your choice, demon. Apologies for interrupting your… _conversation_." With that, he turned and walked back into the trees. Sesshomaru turned to Rin, anger still radiating from him.

She wrapped her arms around him and laid her cheek against his firm chest. "No harm done. Let's go back. We can continue later."

He grunted and looked around for his shirt, which was halfway across the clearing. After pulling it on, he kissed Rin deeply. "We _will_ finish what we started."

They made their way back to the house carefully maintaining a safe distance, even though she was hyper-aware of his every movement. When she tripped over a root, he caught her the second she stumbled, proof he was paying just as much attention to her.

Inuyasha and Kagome were in the kitchen when they entered. The hanyou took a deep breath and his eyes widened in shock a split second before a shit-eating grin split his face. Kagome took one look at him and her jaw dropped as she turned to Rin.

Now a dark shade of red, Rin decided to make her escape. Unwilling to hear whatever lascivious comments Inuyasha was bound to make, she mumbled something about working on her story and nearly ran to her room. Shortly afterwards she heard light footsteps and the door across the hall close. She breathed a sigh of relief; he was going to give her time to collect herself.

After changing into a tank top and matching lounge pants, Rin brushed her hair and was dismayed to find several pieces of bark and leaves falling on the floor. _Thanks for telling me, guys, _she sighed inwardly. Sitting down at her laptop, she quickly reread a few pages and made some edits to a few awkward sentences, the familiar action soothing her nervousness about what was going to happen. Just as she was saving the work and getting ready to go across the hall, a loud knock sounded.

The first knock quickly turned into two, three, four… it was an urgent pounding by the time she made it to the door. Fully prepared to run and grab the laptop in case the house was on fire or bolt to someone who had hurt themselves, she flung the door open and stopped short when she saw Kagura standing in the hallway, fist raised to hit the door again.

"Kagura? What's wrong? Why are you-" Rin broke off at the sorceress' expression. Angry ruby eyes flashed, lips pressed into a thin white line, a muscle in her clenched jaw ticked erratically, nostrils flared with every breath. "Kagura?"

"You… you… WHORE!"

-x-x-x-

Sesshomaru combed his hair absently. He hadn't really needed to take a shower after coming back inside, but he had always been fanatically clean. Even hundreds of years ago when soap was a luxury few could afford, he had never hesitated to wash almost every day. Back then it was nearly unheard of for anyone except the most wealthy to bathe more than once or twice a month, unless one was to count a quick dunk in freezing lake water, which Sesshomaru never had.

His dog protested when the scent of his mate was washed away but was quickly consoled when Sesshomaru informed it of his plans for the evening. Since then it had been content to wait, happy it would get its way.

Before he and Rin had been so rudely interrupted, the dog –not to mention the man- had been in total bliss. Rin had the most wonderful scent of anything he had ever smelled. Her taste was the finest ambrosia, her appearance the stuff of legend.

The dog was completely tamed by her and had not a single complaint. Sesshomaru growled at the happy little noise the dog made when he considered her unconscious control over him. Even though he was now willing to admit to himself that he wanted Rin, Sesshomaru was still adamantly against the fact that she was his mate. The dog sighed at him, but made no other indication of its displeasure.

Sesshomaru didn't want to be anyone's mate. Especially not some little human who pushed all his buttons. She wasn't tall, voluptuous, and tractable like the women he usually contented himself with. Nevertheless, he wanted her. Badly. And it grated.

Satisfied his hair was at its usual perfection, Sesshomaru put on a different band t-shirt, warm-up pants, and tied the silver mass back into a low ponytail to keep it out of his way. Even though his hair was the one true vanity he had, it was a lot to deal with sometimes since there was just so much of it. If Rin wanted it down, she could take it down herself. He could already feel her slim fingers caressing his scalp as she loosed the strands that would cover her and mix so well with her own hair and-

A furious pounding echoed through his room. Cocking his head slightly to hear past the commotion, Sesshomaru could hear heavy breathing and quick footsteps. A small voice. "Kagura? What's wrong? Why are you- Kagura?"

"You… you… WHORE!"

The last word was screeched loud enough that his ears rung. Before he knew what he was doing, Sesshomaru wrenched his door open and stared down at the females in the hallway. One looked up at him with no small amount of fear in her eyes, the other glancing up petulantly and returning her glare to the smaller woman.

It was no wonder why Rin was scared. Kagura's hair was whipping around her face, her clothes snapping back and forth in the whirlwind she had conjured around herself. Her eyes were glowing red and small tendrils of energy sparked off her fingertips.

Sesshomaru moved into an aggressive stance, ready to defend his mate from any danger. A low growl rumbled in his throat as he sized up the sorceress. Rin's eyes widened and she let out a small whimper. His eyes snapped to hers for a split second before returning to the threat at hand.

Several sets of footsteps ran up the hallway and slowed a few feet away. All the demons had come running, their human counterparts arriving a moment later. Taisho pressed through to the front of the group. "What the hell is going on?"

Stepping to the side, Sesshomaru kept his attention on his mate and the threat, all while watching the new arrivals. His father wore rumpled clothing and his hair was tangled. When Izayoi hurried towards them in a similar state of dress, it was plain to see why Taisho was so annoyed.

The Lord of the West fixed his gaze on Kagura who, to her credit, met his eyes fearlessly. "What are you doing, Kagura? I thought we went over this."

The sorceress returned to glaring at Rin. Sesshomaru tensed, but froze when Taisho raised his hand in a signal to wait. "That whore lied to me! I'll kill her before I see her with my Sesshy!" Inuyasha snickered at the nickname and gasped in pain as Kagome jabbed him in the ribs with an elbow. Kagura's eyes shot to the hanyou. "That's right, half-breed, laugh it up. Just because the rest of you dogs can't find a demoness that would have you doesn't mean that Sesshy should lower himself to your level, you worthless human-loving piece of-"

"Kagura! That is more than enough!" Taisho drew himself up to his full height and allowed his demon to exert some of its power. Everyone who had started to speak in indignation over Kagura's damnation of demon-human couples fell silent, quailed under the force of his presence. Even the sorceress paled slightly, but still held her ground. "I have put up with enough of your ignorance to last me a lifetime. I want you out of here by morning! We'll speak about your position within the company next week. Until then, I had better not hear a single word from or about you. Understood?"

Kagura took a deep breath. "I'm not the troublemaker. She is. If she hadn't come here with the intent of seducing everything with a dick-"

"I SAID BE QUIET!" The force of his command drove the less powerful demons to their knees. The humans froze in place. Onigumo stumbled, affected by his demon ancestry. Inuyasha winced slightly, the strong blood of his father helping him remain on his feet. Sesshomaru didn't move, still prepared to leap to his mate's defense, even though his demon made a small submission noise in the back of his throat. Taisho didn't use his full authority often, but when he did the results were always impressive. He hadn't held onto the Western Lands for centuries for no reason.

Kagura finally dropped her gaze as the mini-tornado died. Taisho's eyes blazed down at her, demon marks streaking across his cheeks, his face contorted in the beginnings of a transformation, a sign of exactly how incensed he truly was.

"Kagura. You will leave these premises within one hour. I don't care how you do it, but you will not be anywhere within my lands by morning. I have put up with your nonsense for too long as it is. Nobody insults my mate. NOBODY! Consider yourself lucky you get an hour. Now get out of my sight before I change my mind."

She opened her mouth to say something but thought the better of it when she saw the look on Taisho's face. Sesshomaru's lip curled when Kagura looked at him. She recoiled as if he had slapped her and fled down the hallway as quickly as she could without running. As soon as she turned the corner and left their line-of-sight, Taisho let out a long breath and the air returned.

The demons got to their feet and bowed to Taisho before returning to wherever they had come from, taking the various humans along with them. Izayoi and Kagome took a stunned Rin to the side and spoke to her in low voices. Inuyasha and Sesshomaru nodded to their father, canting their heads to the side in a show of submission. When he nodded in acceptance, the half-brothers approached him.

Taisho clapped a hand on Sesshomaru's shoulder for a moment before he shrugged it off. Knowing his son didn't like to be touched, his father didn't take offense. "What on earth was that, Sesshomaru?"

"Yeah, Fluffy, I knew Kagura had a thing for you, but damn…"

"I have no idea." It grated to admit it, but Sesshomaru knew it was no time to conceal things from his father, considering how his demon must still be worked up after the confrontation. "I had the understanding that she was just a glutton for punishment. I never knew she was truly unbalanced."

"Yes, well. We'll have to consider her position when we get back to work. She's a great board member, but I refuse to have my mate insulted and my commands ignored." Taisho sighed deeply and turned to Inuyasha. "Normally I would tell you to supervise her removal from the house, but with these circumstances…"

The hanyou growled. "I get it. I'll kill her if I see her right now. Koga or Ayame should be able to handle it."

The females, finished with their conversation, joined their small group and collected their mates, leaving Sesshomaru and Rin in the now-empty corridor. His dog paced restlessly in his head, wanting to make sure she was okay and stake its claim right then. The man overruled it and looked over her. Seeing she was unharmed except for a slightly stunned look, he pulled her into his chest. She melted into his embrace and let out a shaky breath. After a moment, she backed away and met his gaze.

Sesshomaru knew he should say something to comfort her but had no idea as to what. He didn't relish speaking like some others he knew and had little experience with any females with whom he would care to hold a real, non-work-related conversation. The dog came to the rescue and he felt the corners of his mouth tilt upwards slightly. "Care for a drink?"

The smile on her face lit up dark places inside him he hadn't known existed. "God, yes."


	9. The Morning After

**A/N:** Yay for two updates in a week! Here's the scene I know you've all been waiting for... bring on the LEMON! It's been quite a while since I've written an erotic scene, so forgive me if it comes out weird. Any constructive criticism would be greatly appreciated, so review, review, review! Help me become a better writer so I can confidently bring you more smutty goodness!

On a related note, I want to sincerely thank everyone who has taken the time to review and/or PM me with comments and critiques. It means so much to me that so many people like my take on the stories. I love you all more than you can possibly know.

DISCLAIMER: This scene is highly explicit.

If you are offended by things of a sexual nature, _do not_ read this chapter.

Also, there are quite a few "4-letter" words.

For everyone else, here's some dirty fun.

And, as always, I don't own Inuyasha or anything related to him.

If I did, they'd do things like this on a regular basis. :)

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><p>Rin's first waking thought was how incredibly comfortable she was.<p>

The second was that something warm was tickling the nape of her neck.

The third was the realization that the room was the wrong color.

She bolted upright, the abrupt movement making her head spin. Squeezing her eyes shut against the sensation, her hands dragged along the coverings, searching for some clue as to where she was. The right remained empty, but the left found a hard lump under the comforter. Cracking her eyes open a fraction, she peered at the offending … _thing…_ for a moment before her brain caught up to what was going on. Following the raised blanket upwards, her eyes widened by the second as the amorphous form underneath gradually took shape, the blanket stopping abruptly to expose a lightly tanned six-pack. On seeing the skin, her gaze shot upwards to the hooded eyes watching her every movement.

Letting out a small shriek, Rin jerked away from the man next to her and lost her balance, landing unceremoniously on the floor next to the bed. She skittered backwards several feet before the pain of landing made itself known. Warily, she stood, gently rubbing the sore spot on her rear.

"Good morning to you, as well." His voice was deep, with a hint of sleepiness still left in the sound. Sesshomaru made no move to cover his abdomen as he propped up on one elbow to see her better.

"Why am I in here? Did you… I mean, did we…?" Rin's head pounded terribly. She felt like she had been run over by a truck, then the truck had backed up and run over her again. "What happened?"

"What do you remember?"

She rolled her eyes and groaned at the pain the tiny action caused. Covering her eyes with a hand to block the miniscule amount of sun filtering through the heavy blinds, she thought back to the night before. "Um, the whole Kagura thing. And going to the game room and getting owned in darts, but beating you in pool. And… well… the rest is kind of a blur."

"You got outrageously drunk. After several very impassioned speeches, you passed out and I carried you to your room. You woke up when I laid you down and insisted you were -and I quote- 'going to make a man out of me'. We came in here and you immediately fell asleep on my bed."

Rin buried her face in her hands and groaned. Not only had she gotten hammered, she had done it in front of the man she wanted to impress, passed out on him, had to be put to bed like a child, basically told him she wanted to fuck, then took over his bed. _Good going, dummy._ Without another word, she escaped into his bathroom. After making use of the facilities, she stared at herself in the mirror. Her eyes were bloodshot, her hair was a huge tangle, and her mascara was smeared halfway down her cheeks.

Muttering curses at her stupidity, she splashed her face with cold water and wiped off the remnants of makeup. A quick search through the vanity turned up a bottle of mouthwash, which she used several times. Not wanting to use his brush she made a valiant effort to tame the unruly mass of hair, to no avail. Still finger-combing in a futile effort, Rin re-entered the bedroom to find Sesshomaru in the exact same position she had left him.

His hair, as usual, was perfectly coiffed and gleamed in the dim light. His golden eyes were completely awake now and focused on her. One hand reached up to lazily scratch at his chest. Her eyes followed the movement, tracing the contours of his muscles with ease.

"Come back to bed. It is not yet seven."

She crossed her arms at the thinly-veiled command. "And if I want to go to my room?"

"Do you?" he asked, one brow lifted. No, she really didn't, but she wasn't about to allow him to order her around. That was the entire reason her last relationship didn't work out; he had decided that he knew best, no matter what.

With as much dignity as she could muster on an almost-walk-of-shame, Rin started for the exit. Sesshomaru watched her as she approached the bed, frowning when she walked around it. Just before she reached the door, he leapt behind her and wrapped his arms around her waist. His fingers brushed the thin strip of bare skin showing between her cami and pants and she shivered involuntarily. Warm breath ghosted over the shell of her ear as he leaned down and whispered, "Stay with me."

Her heart flipped at his soft tone. She knew he would never admit it, but he wanted her just as much as she wanted him. The truth of the realization hit her like a freight train. She must have stiffened with the thought because he squeezed tighter for a moment before nearly releasing her. If she hadn't already decided to stay, his next action would have made her change her mind about leaving. As it was, it made her want to melt.

He whimpered. It was a tiny, nearly inaudible plea for understanding and if she hadn't been so tuned into him, she would have missed it completely. She turned in his arms and pressed her face against his chest. The warm heat of him soaked into her as his arms tightened. His chin rested atop her head, proving just how well their bodies fit together. _Speaking of…_

Rin tilted her head back in silent question. He answered by brushing his lips on hers, sending a thrill down to her toes and a jolt straight to her center. The bare skin of his back was smooth, the muscles taut under her roaming fingers. Silky hair tickled the back of her hands, swaying gently as he pulled her closer, deepening the kiss.

When she pulled her hands away from his back, they found a new home wrapped around his neck. Sesshomaru growled as she tugged his hair slightly, angling his head for better access to her mouth. His tongue swept across the seam of her lips, silently demanding entrance. When she opened, sparks flew as their tongues touched. Held tight to his body, she explored his mouth hungrily.

She quickly found that he liked having his hair played with and pulled lightly. The licking caress she gave one of his distended fangs had him making little moans and groans of pleasure, and she would never let him know that all these sounds combined into something that sounded suspiciously like a purr.

When she nipped his lip the reaction was instant. His wandering hands shot to her hips and lifted her up, her legs wrapping around his waist automatically. Releasing his hold on her mouth, he guided them to the bed. He laid her down and lowered himself over her, settling between her legs. Rin rotated her hips against his hardness and was pleased at his swift intake of breath.

Sesshomaru was a glorious specimen of the male gender, demon or human. His red-rimmed eyes looked down at her with none of the anger and hatred she had seen during the Kagura debacle. The emotion behind those eyes wasn't anger, no… but it was certainly just as powerful. Rin wasn't empathic, but she had an inkling that his feelings toward her were just as strong, if not stronger, than hers for him.

A pair of purple stripes were visible on each cheek, a navy crescent moon prominently displayed on his forehead. Otherworldly silver hair fell in beautiful disarray around his naked torso, highlighting his naturally tan skin. Below the defined abs, cotton lounge parts hung low, tented in a prominent display of his virility. The v-line of his hips pointed towards his arousal, not that she needed a guide. Noticing her perusal, Sesshomaru let out a small smile. It wasn't actually a smile, though, more along the lines of a feral baring of teeth that let her know he was coming for her, whether she was ready or not. A shiver of excitement traveled down her spine.

Clawed fingers pushed up her cami as her leaned over her. "You have too many clothes on, _bitch_." Part of Rin wanted to be offended at him calling her a bitch, but his tone made it sound like more of an endearment than a derogatory term. Plus, Kagome had told her the beginner basics of dog demons. Even though she was well aware of how the word was affectionate in demon-speak, she still wasn't fond of it. Regardless, she would let it go for now. There would always be later to educate him on human women.

Rin rose up a bit so the demon could pull off her top. Instead of zeroing in on her breasts, like he had done before, Sesshomaru hooked his fingers in her pajama pants and pulled them and her underwear off in one swift movement. His eyes raked over her naked form, nearly scorching her with the heat in his gaze.

"Now you're wearing too many clothes." Rin didn't know the term of affection to call a dog demon during sex so she left it out of the demand, but the husky tone of her voice let him know that she was more than ready.

Ignoring her words, he leaned over her again, his hair covering them both, his chest rubbing her hardened nipples. The harsh whisper was in the distinctly low and raspy voice she had come to believe was a part of his demon speaking. "Not yet, my beautiful bitch."

Still hovering over her, Sesshomaru started just below her ear. Clever lips, tongue, and teeth licked, suckled and nipped down the column of her neck. Rin moaned and writhed under his tender ministrations, wordlessly urging him on. He took his time, burying his nose in the curve of her throat, where her neck joined the shoulder and collarbone. A hard bite to the same area came after he inhaled deeply, his entire body shuddering in pleasure. He didn't break the skin, but she would definitely have a mark.

Continuing his torturous journey, he tasted every inch of her breast, carefully avoiding the nipple. Back arched, she strained towards his mouth. "Sessh, please…'' When he latched on and sucked, a shock sped through her body, settling in her core. He paid the same explicit attention to her other breast before making his way even further down. Rin squirmed underneath him, driven crazy by his deliberate care.

As he kissed the curve of her hip, Rin closed her eyes in pleasure. The man's mouth was God's gift to womankind. Never before had she been paid this much attention, especially the first time she had sex with a man. Then again, this was the first time she would have sex with a demon, so maybe they did it differently. When the sensation of pinpricks on her thighs broke through the haze of lust in her mind, Rin propped herself up on an elbow.

Sesshomaru kneeled on the floor beside the bed in between her spread legs, the clawed fingers holding her hips flexing erratically. Biting her lip in anticipation, their eyes connected as he leaned in and buried his nose in her small patch of pubic hair. A feral growl vibrated against her mound as his eyes almost rolled back in his head and a full body shudder raced through him.

When his eyes reopened, they blazed red, nearly glowing in their intensity. Rin gasped when his thumbs parted her labia, exposing her inner folds to the cool air. In a second that seemed like an eternity, she watched as the demon gazed at her most intimate parts in naked longing. Then he moved.

There was no gentle easing into the sensation. There was no tender caress. There was only the mind-numbing sensation of ecstasy coursing through her. He licked and suckled her clit, tongued her pussy, nuzzled her flesh with the ferocity of a starving man at a banquet. One long finger entered her, then two, fucking her as he concentrated on the sensitive nub. When the fingers curled and tickled that certain spot inside, Rin felt pressure building at the base of her spine, begging to be released. Her breathless whimpering took an urgent edge and Sesshomaru responded willingly, redoubling his efforts.

The tingling pressure increased until she couldn't stand it anymore. Wanton cries filled the air as she strained for the peak, mindless pleas for him to finish her off escaping her lips. Just when she was convinced she would die from the feeling, he bit down gently on her clit and the world exploded.

A harsh scream tore from her throat as she came, her hips convulsing against his mouth as he kept working on the sensitized nub, prolonging her orgasm. Rin saw stars. She couldn't breathe, couldn't move, couldn't think. The blinding pleasure completely shut down any coherent thought.

Just as the pleasure was starting to turn to pain from being so intense, he pulled away and stood up to shed his pants. Taking his place between her legs again, he leaned over Rin and kissed her deeply. She could taste herself in his mouth and it turned her on all over again. He thrusted against her over-sensitized flesh and she shuddered. Raising her hips in blatant invitation, he guided himself into her.

The small burning sensation as he worked his way inside was just enough pain to make it feel so good. Sesshomaru rested his forehead against hers and panted harshly as he rocked his hips. When he was buried to the hilt he breathed a sigh of relief. She could feel him throbbing inside her, the rhythmic pulse ratcheting up her need again. With a deep breath, he pulled out until just the head was still inside, then plunged back in with one swift motion.

They both moaned at the sensation. He repeated the action over and over, slowly at first, but speeding up until it was a frantic pounding that left them both breathless.

Rin twined her fingers in his luxurious mane near the scalp and pulled his mouth to hers. His tongue invaded her mouth, thrusting in time with his hips. Lightly capturing it with her teeth, she closed her lips around the organ and sucked, eliciting a moan from deep inside him.

Releasing him, she kissed her way down his neck, nipping and suckling as well as she could while being thoroughly fucked. At the junction of his neck and shoulder, she bit down. A feral grunt sounded in her ear. When she let go, the same feral voice rasped, "Bite harder."

Not at all loathe to reattach herself, Rin lunged for the same spot and bit. Hard. Hard enough that the still rational part of her brain was shocked at the ferocity of the action. Sesshomaru, however, seemed to love it. His thrusts became irregular and a low whine escaped him, as if he was in pain. He seemed to grow bigger inside her, the sensation bringing her ever closer to a second mind-blowing orgasm.

One hand snaked up to grab a handful of his hair and yanked his head to the side, giving her better access to his neck. With every bite, his movements became more urgent, as did her hips. She was so close… so close… it was right there… With a final bite right on his pulse point, Sesshomaru's body tensed as he buried himself to the hilt inside her. She was right on the edge and if he moved just a little it would-

She could feel him growing inside her, impossibly big, stretching her beyond her limits… Then the swollen knot rubbed her g-spot and Rin exploded. This orgasm was just as intense as the first and lasted even longer. Sesshomaru was obviously enjoying the sensation, his face contorted in a grimace of pleasure so great it hurt. His eyes actually were glowing red, his stripes now jagged slashes across his skin. The small fangs had grown until they looked more like vampire teeth than animal. His entire body quivered and he breathed harshly.

All this Rin noticed with the tiny part of her brain that still functioned. Her back was arched, pressing her breasts into his chest, nipples grating as she gasped for breath. She was so sensitive all over that the soft sheets underneath her were almost torture against her skin. Closing her eyes as the last ripples of orgasm faded, Rin took a deep breath, smelling a heady mix of sex and sweat and Sesshomaru.

The demon snapped out of his cloud of pleasure and looked at her, the feral red eyes softening. He fell to her side, pulling Rin into his embrace. One thigh inserted itself between hers, where they were still connected. With one finger, Sesshomaru tilted her head up and kissed her softly. "My beautiful bitch."

Feeling safer and more secure than she had in a long, long time, Rin gave herself up to the whims of a demon and snuggled into his chest, a thin sheen of sweat glistening across his muscles. A sudden urge struck her and she bent her head to lick his nipple. The salty sweet taste was wonderful, but the gasp of pleasure was even better. A tiny bite to the hardened nub made him exhale an inaudible curse.

Satisfied with the experience, Rin pillowed her head on one of his biceps, their faces only inches apart. She could feel a dopey grin settle on her, but had no inclination to fight it. The knotted erection inside her twitched, reminding her of the delicious fullness she felt. His eyes searched her face, his gaze locking on her lips as she bit the lower one, loving the indescribable sensations all over her body.

Sesshomaru leaned down and gave her a lazy kiss, idly rubbing her back. Giving in to the cuddling, Rin snuggled into his chest and his arms wrapped around her. His arousal kicked again, making her gasp. "A knot, Sesshomaru? Really? I'm not complaining, but shouldn't you have warned me?"

If it wasn't for the hardness still inside, she would have fallen asleep right then. A couple hours of sleep after a giant drinking binge wasn't nearly enough. Her entire body was limp after the intense sensation of just moments before and she was quickly becoming incoherent.

"It did not occur to me that you would not know. It is a part of being a canine demon."

She nodded against his chest, a mumbled "Okay," her only response. He pulled back and slid out of her with a wince. Rin moaned at the sensation, already mourning the loss. He scooted up the bed, bringing her with him until they were both resting on the multitude of pillows. He pulled the blanket over them and adjusted himself to her form when she rolled over.

He wrapped himself around her, plastering his front to her back. She could feel the gentle tugging as he pushed hair out of the way and settled in to kiss the nape of her neck, scraping it with fangs every now and again. Reveling in his arms, she twined their fingers together and drifted off.

-x-x-x-

Sesshomaru was in heaven. The dog dozed lightly in sated bliss. His bitch was everything he had imagined and more. The sounds she made, the color of her flushed skin, the scent of her arousal, the taste… gods, the taste of her would forever be imprinted on his brain.

As many times as he had fantasized about fucking her in the past few days, the reality far surpassed the faint visions he conjured. He lightly nipped her neck, letting out a contented little hum as she shifted against him in her sleep.

Never before had he held someone all night long. Sure, there had been times in his past when he was forced to sleep in close quarters with other demons, and once in a very great while he had let a woman stay with him, but he always refused any post-coital contact. Granted, he always made sure they were both well satisfied, but he had absolutely no interest in females of any sort beyond peaking with them.

Until Rin, that is.

Now he couldn't imagine letting go of his female. She fit so perfectly in his arms as she slept. He had rested along with her, but never truly descended into sleep. Right now, neither he nor his demon had any inclination to move from the bed ever again. As long as Rin was between the sheets, he would be, as well.

Just as he was considering paging the kitchen and having a meal brought to the room, reality intruded in the form of a hesitant knock on the door. Silently promising to kill whoever interrupted his private thoughts, Sesshomaru pulled on a robe reminiscent of his old clothing, complete with his favored red flower on the shoulder. Opening the door, he stood in the gap, blocking the view to the bed.

Kagome looked up at him and blinked, surprised. The demon knew exactly why she paused at his appearance; his face tingled slightly along the cheeks and the center of his forehead, a sign that his markings were still visible. He raised an eyebrow and she smiled nervously.

"Uh, hi, Sesshomaru. Sorry to bother you, but have you seen Rin? She didn't come down to breakfast and her room is empty. Did she go out to write?"

His female saved him the effort of thinking of a reasonable answer that prevented Kagome from realizing she was in his bed, naked. Human women seemed to be particular about who knew their sleeping arrangements, especially when sex was involved.

Stretching like a cat, Rin sat up and yawned loudly, the blanket falling to her waist and exposing her perfect breasts. "Sesshomaru," she groaned in a sleepy voice, "who is that?" Kagome craned her neck to see around him and he sighed irritably. "Cover yourself. We have company." When she had pulled the sheet up to cover herself –a crime against nature- he stepped aside to allow Kagome entrance. Rin came awake in an instant when Kagome made a sound of disbelief, her jaw dropped and eyes wide.

"Rin? Oh my god… Okay, I'll, uh, just let you guys continue what you were doing and… uh… sorry for interrupting!" With once last glance between the two of them, Kagome fled the room. Sesshomaru locked the door behind her and strode to the bed, releasing Rin's death grip on the cloth in front of her and letting it fall.

She gave him a lopsided smile and snorted. "Well, that was quite the wake-up call. Time to re-enter the world, I guess." She kicked the covers off and scooted towards the edge of the bed. Just as she rose to her feet, Sesshomaru grabbed her around the waist and pulled her flush against him. His cock, half-hardened from the exquisite view of a moment ago, came to full attention as she squirmed against him. "Sesshomaru?"

He leaned down and grazed her ear with a fang, delighting in the shiver it sent through her. "Turn around."

Pleased to see that she complied without any questions, he nudged her onto the bed on her hands and knees. She turned her head to watch as he let the robe fall to the floor and stepped behind her. The dog slavered at this view and Sesshomaru agreed completely. Never before had he been so tempted by the mere sight of something.

His hands traced up the back of her thighs, leaving goosebumps in their wake. Pink flesh glistened from between creamy white skin. Ignoring the part of her that begged to be touched, he indulged in the actions that had obsessed him since her first saw her. Scraping his claws along her ass had her arching backwards, seeking his body. The dimples at the small of her back tasted just as he had imagined, hints of cherries and vanilla teasing his tongue beside the light spice of salt, remnants of their earlier exertions. He rubbed his hands up her back, the large span of his fingers nearly covering her small frame. Pushing her hair aside as he covered her completely, he pushed inside at the same time his teeth closed on her nape.

She shuddered in pleasure, the small vibration ratcheting up his excitement. Propping himself up with one hand, the other snaked around to flick her clit. He growled against her spine as she bucked in response.

The dog took over and fucked her with gusto. Sesshomaru retained enough of himself to not sink his fangs into her skin, marking her as his mate. The dog fought against this, speeding up the pace until it was all he could do to keep rubbing her in time with his thrusts. Her muscles began to spasm erratically around him, the warm sheath of her massaging him with every movement.

Every muscle tensed as her orgasm started in earnest. He kept rubbing and fucking her through it, feeling his balls tighten with every thrust. She moaned in delight as her arms gave out and she crashed face-first into the mattress. Sesshomaru followed her down, never releasing his hold on her neck or losing his rhythm. He took his hand off her clit and used it for support, pounding into her furiously.

The silken slide of her flesh, the flushed skin of her back, the harsh breathing coming from pouty lips… it was too much for him to take. Rearing upright, he grabbed her hips, claws pricking the soft skin. He could feel the swelling start and held her tight to him as he came.

The knot expanded much quicker than before, locking him deep inside and making sure none of his seed escaped. The dog howled in pleasure, the sound coming from deep within him and forcing out of his throat. The dog exerted all of its considerable force and focused on the back of Rin's neck. It darted in to mark her and Sesshomaru, wresting control from the demon, altered the course of the lunge just enough to bite into the comforter instead of her skin.

In frenzied anguish, the dog turned its hatred on the man who had thwarted it. Concentration couldn't be maintained for very long, however, since in the split second this internal battle raged, he was still coming. Inhuman growls were muffled around the torn blanket in his mouth, intermittent groans sounding when her muscles milked him again.

He released his death grip on the blanket and fell to the side, taking Rin with him. Her breathing was a calming mantra to his demon. He threaded his fingers through hers and kissed her shoulder softly in silent apology for his roughness.

As much as he knew that he was not, nor would ever be human, Sesshomaru resented his dog for turning him into a mindless beast. Although he was anti-social at the best of times and had a wicked temper, he considered himself a rational being. The dog completely undermined that when it asserted itself and took over.

Even though he knew the dog wanted Rin for its mate, he would not give in to the demands for him to bite her. He had come too close earlier, when he marked her collarbone. And now, through sheer force of will, he stopped once again. He was unlikely to be able to stop it a third time. Who knows, there might not even be a third time, after the way he had abused her now.

She hadn't spoken a single word since yelling his name as she came around him. Even now, she was completely silent, her head resting on his arm, one thumb caressing the hand that held hers. Her back wasn't tense, but it wasn't totally relaxed, either. He was dying to know what was running through her mind, but wasn't about to let on that he was nervous about her reaction.

While he was on top of her, he hadn't realized how rough he was being. Demon sex was inherently rough, seeing as their baser instincts took over during the act. This was understood and accepted as par for the course. But Rin wasn't a demon, she was human. Hell, she probably wasn't even built to handle his knot.

Said knot had finally dissipated enough that he could pull out. When he did, he winced at the sensitivity and she moaned, but in pleasure or pain, he couldn't tell. Released from the hold, Rin turned towards him and looked up into his eyes. The expression on her face was unreadable.

Sesshomaru prepared himself for the worst. He hated to admit it, but he would despise himself if he actually did hurt her. The dog caught on to the tenor of his thoughts and whimpered sadly, finally understanding why the man was angry at it. Dog demons were notoriously loyal to those who had earned it. It was incredibly hard to get that trust from them, but once someone had, the demon would literally walk through fire for them.

Sesshomaru would cut off his arm if his mate demanded it.

The thought struck him like a bolt of lightning. She was his mate. The dog thumped its tail once at this, a sign of its relief that he had finally caught on. God, if she wouldn't stay with him after his treatment of her… if she didn't want anything to do with him now…

Some of his thoughts must have shown in his face because she stretched up and kissed him lightly on the lips. "Not so rough next time, okay? It was great… fantastic, actually… but I can't take it like that every day. Alright?"

The dog whooped in joy. Sesshomaru allowed himself a full-fledged smile in relief. Rin's eyes widened in surprise for a second before an equally large grin split her face. She pressed into his chest and his arms wrapped around her slim body, where it would remain always, if he had any say in the matter.

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><p><strong>AN:** Aaawwwww... *fangirl squee*


	10. Meetings Are Hell

**A/N:** Okay, first off, I'm not completely thrilled with this chapter, because nobody wanted to agree with me. Sesshomaru wants to follow Kagura and eviscerate her, Rin wants to BS with Kagome, and everyone else has an opinion on everything that they want to share. So yeah, this one isn't my best and it's a bit shorter than I'd prefer, but hey, at least I got this one out of the way. It might be a couple weeks for another update since real life flared up on me in the past few days and I don't have much time on the computer at the moment. Blargh. On the bright side, Rin POV makes a triumphant return next time around!

As always, I don't own anything regarding these characters except for the plot itself. Reviews are love!

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><p>Everyone gathered in the living room to wait for Taisho and Izayoi. Sesshomaru and Rin entered together, his hand at the small of her back. The look on his face dared someone to say something and after a few second glances, nobody looked their way. Rin took a seat on the couch and made room for him. Apparently Kagome had taught her something about demons because she specifically chose a seat far away from any other males.<p>

Not a moment after, Taisho and Izayoi appeared. Neither took a seat. "I know you were all expecting another team-building exercise," he started, "but I'm afraid that after some recent events, we need to have a quick business meeting. All employees into the dining room, please. The rest of you have a pass for today. See you back here, same time tomorrow."

Sesshomaru rose and extended his hand to his mate. She smiled and took it. Leaning down, he inhaled her scent and kissed the spot just below her ear. "Don't go too far. I'm coming for you afterwards, Rrriiin." He drew her name out the way she liked and was pleased to hear a quick intake of breath.

He felt more than saw her nod. Pleased with her agreement, he kissed her neck again and turned to go to the dining room. He was just in time to see several jaws snap closed. His eyes rolled in disdain. Some people were so easily confused.

He was the first to take a seat in the dining room. The rest filed in after a minute and took seats near the head of the table. Sesshomaru was pleased to see that Bankotsu was farthest away from him. The last thing he wanted was to be near his mate's former suitor. How Inuyasha managed around Koga, who had pursued Kagome with a vengeance, he would never know; perhaps it was that the wolf now had his own mate. No matter, his half-brother's issues were of no concern.

Taisho was the last to enter and he pulled the doors securely shut after him. Without any preamble, he stepped into his CEO shoes. "All right. You are all well aware of the reason we are taking this unwelcome trip to work during our vacation, correct?" A series of nods answered him and he clapped once. "Okay, then let's get down to it. What are we going to do with Kagura? After what she said about dog demons, I know what I _want_ to do, but it isn't precisely legal. What are your thoughts on the matter? Inuyasha?"

The hanyou sighed irritably. "She's a bitch, plain and simple. I'm in the same boat as you, father, when it comes to that. But, as much as I hate to admit it, she's a good board member."

"Very well. Koga?"

In that manner, Taisho went around the table to hear everyone's opinion. Not surprisingly, it was generally agreed that Kagura had an unpleasant personality and excelled at her job. Kanna was the only one who made an attempt to defend her friend, saying only that she was 'a very passionate person'. Finally, Sesshomaru's turn came around.

He had leaned back in the chair, legs crossed, listening intently as everyone else spoke. The only sign of his increasing irritation was one finger tapping slowly on his thigh. With deliberate precision he steepled his fingers and tapped the index fingers against his lips. Letting out a small breath he had been holding with a dramatic flourish, he met the eyes of his fellow board members.

"Kagura has been after me for years, as you are all well aware. I have told her I am uninterested many, many times. Recently, she has repeatedly verbally assaulted and come within inches of physically harming a woman who has shown interest in me. I feel no remorse for any problems that may occur as consequence for her increasingly erratic actions. That being said, I believe that Kagura is unstable mentally. She not only has completely disregarded any sense of decency and public decorum in this obsession for me, she has gravely insulted all demons with human partners, slandered my entire species, and most importantly, she threatened to kill my mate." All their jaws dropped in surprise, except for Inuyasha and Taisho, who gave him approving nods.

He understood their surprise. No woman had ever tempted him for more than a night or two and even then there had been none in nearly a century, only paid women who got in and got out. Sesshomaru had accepted that he had found his other half and, while he wasn't thrilled about her being a human, he was tired of fighting his instincts over the girl. She had made some excellent points in their past conversations. He couldn't help but think about one time in particular, when she had blindsided him so badly that he had no idea how to react.

"_I cannot risk mating you. It would be impossible not to mark you."_

"_I thought you were in control."_

_His eyes narrowed and fingers flexed. "I am, but you truly bring out the demon in me."_

"_Let me get this straight: You might have found your mate, someone your demon resonates with, and you're going to pass up the opportunity because your demon likes the idea of being with her? Because she's human? That's just dumb."_

_Sesshomaru's upper lip curled slightly. "You are playing with fire, woman," he growled. "Do not push me."_

_Rin kept talking, ignoring his warning. "I mean, really. If I never tried anything because part of me liked it, I never would have become an author, never would have come on this trip, never would have done anything. Is that all you're going to do, be contrary to your instincts just for the sake of being contrary? Or is it just because I'm human and you aren't? There are three demon-human couples here who seem quite happy. But what do I know, I'm only human, after all."_

No, she was more than 'only human'. Far more, or he would have never taken notice of her to begin with, let alone become attracted to her. Someone cleared their throat quietly, breaking him out of his train of thought. Deciding to use the silence to his favor he continued as if he had merely paused to accent the importance of his declaration..

"Yes, she is my mate. No interference will be tolerated where she is concerned." He pointedly looked at Bankotsu, who dropped his gaze immediately. Satisfied with this show of submission, he went on. "Kagura has crossed many lines before, and I know you all agree with me on that. I, for one, will not deal with any more of her reckless disregard for anything except her momentary whims. If she says or does anything to, about, or regarding my mate, I will kill her. I will be highly displeased if she returns to the boardroom, but if she manages to keep her mouth shut, I foresee no problems. Even though I may not like it, I will respect whatever decision you make, father."

Taisho nodded his understanding. "Very well. Now, the way I see this, there are three options. We can forgive her this offense. We can call for her resignation. Or we can split the difference and put her on probation; give her a while to figure things out and realize she needs to get her act straight. If she cleans up in that timeframe, she stays. If she screws up, she's gone. Any other suggestions?"

No one seemed forthcoming, so he called for a vote. Kanna put herself forward for forgiveness, stating that while it was unconscionably rude, the incident happened outside of work so it shouldn't be counted. Bankotsu, Shippo and Sango all voted for firing her. Miroku, Kikyo, Hojo, and Koga went with probation.

Taisho looked at Inuyasha, who frowned, but nodded. When he looked at Sesshomaru, the dog howled in anger. The man agreed completely. The rational part of him knew, however, that it would be hard to find another board member under such circumstances and that while she was one of the biggest pains in the ass he had ever known, she was damned good at her job. He gave his father a curt nod, which was returned with the same irritation.

"It is decided. Kagura will go on probation for ten weeks. If she screws up once, in or out of the office, she'll need to look for another job." Taisho pushed back his chair and stood, shedding the mantle of authority as easily as he had put it on. "Now, get back to your vacation! Activities resume tomorrow at one."

Sesshomaru was the first out the door, scenting down his mate before anyone else had even risen from their seats. He found her and Kagome in the library, where she was inscribing more of Izayoi's books. She looked up as he entered and smiled widely. It took a moment for Kagome to realize Rin wasn't listening to her anymore, but when she did she excused herself immediately. Striding around Kagome as she left, he picked his mate out of the chair and buried his nose in her neck. Laughing, she dropped her pen on the table and wrapped her legs around his hips.

"Miss me already?" His only response was a quick nip to her pulse point. The dog was in raptures at her scent, warm and welcoming. "Geez, it hasn't even been an hour. Down, boy." Her light tone took out any sting that might have been in her words.

Carefully, he pushed her against the nearest wall. Faces so close their noses almost touched, Sesshomaru could feel himself getting lost in her chocolate eyes. "Does my bitch not want me to miss her? She will be sorely disappointed, if so." He closed his eyes in pleasure as she threaded her fingers through his hair, rubbing his scalp lightly. The dog preened under her gentle caress.

"Oh no, you can miss me all you want. But why do you do that?" Opening his eyes, he raised one brow. "Call me a bitch. Why?"

He had never considered it from her perspective. Being called a bitch was a negative thing in human society, for some reason. For him to use it so casually while they were mating must have been quite a shock. It was a wonder that she knew as much as she did about how demons worked, especially since her friend hadn't deemed it necessary to fill her in on some of the most important aspects of being mated to a dog demon.

Putting this into human terms was tricky. 'Bitch' meant more to a canine than most other pet names, like 'baby' and 'sweetheart'. It wasn't like 'wife', for that was a purely human concept. Mate? No, that wasn't exactly right, either. Lover? That was close enough for this purpose, although it wasn't a direct match.

"It is how dog demons refer to their lovers. It is far from a negative concept as far as we are concerned. It is one of the most intimate endearments we can bestow."

"Oh. So… how many other 'bitches' have you had?"

Silly woman, thinking the tone of her voice could disguise the tension that appeared with the seemingly innocuous question. He nipped her earlobe lightly with a fang before answering. "None."

"Liar. Look at you, you can't possibly tell me you're a virgin."

He couldn't help it; the corners of his lips curved into a smile as his dog barked in offense. "No, I am not. I never claimed to be."

She pushed on his shoulders until he was forced to move back. "But you just said-"

"I said I never called anyone my bitch before you. I never said I was a virgin. The centuries would have been very long without any companionship."

"But-"

He kissed her, cutting off the protest. "We need to remove that word from your vocabulary. Having sex does not necessarily mean you are lovers. Never before have I called anyone my bitch. When you wear my mark, no one else will have a chance."

"Really?"

He couldn't deny the note of hope in her voice. Leaning forward, he touched his forehead to hers. "I may be a lot of things, Rrriiin, but a liar is not one of them."

The kiss, while sudden, was not unexpected. His hand slid up and down her denim-covered thighs as her fingers resumed their previous explorations through his hair. He was hard as a rock when someone cleared their throat behind him. Turning so suddenly he bit his tongue, Sesshomaru whipped around and growled at the intruder, all the while safely lowering Rin to the ground with one arm.

Taisho stood in the doorway, a bemused smile on his face. "Remember what I said the first day? Take it to your room, kids."

His female's cheeks heated to a delicious shade of red in embarrassment. The demon's attention was focused on the perceived threat, but he could see it out of the corner of his eye. "I'm sorry, Mr. Taisho, I just-"

"No worries, Rin," his father interrupted. "It happens. I would suggest, however, that you keep these activities behind closed doors for propriety's sake." She bowed her head in acknowledgement and Sesshomaru decided he had enough of this conversation.

"We were just leaving, father. Excuse us." He grabbed her hand and gently towed her out of the room, past his still smiling parent. He was itching to wipe that smug smirk off the old bastard's face. How dare he interrupt him when he was with his mate and demand they go somewhere else? And then to interrupt her when she was speaking? He must have a death wish.

He was torn, not knowing whether to go back and show his father that any sort of disturbance was not to be tolerated or take his mate upstairs and fuck her like there was no tomorrow, laying his mark so deeply that no creature within twenty miles would doubt his claim. They walked for several minutes as he waffled back and forth, weighing the pros and cons. What finally decided him was Rin stopping in her tracks. She crossed her arms and looked at him with quickly thinning patience. "Sesshomaru, where exactly are we going?"

Taking stock of the surroundings, he found they were on the third floor, about to enter the attic proper. If he had dragged her from the far side of the house all the way here, no wonder she was irritated. The dog put its ears back and whined. "We are going where we will not be disturbed."

"And why do we need the attic? Isn't a room with a lock good enough?"

Her cheeks were flushed above pursed lips. One finger tapped slowly on her left arm, an unknowing echo of his earlier gesture. She arched a brow when he didn't immediately reply. Her short laugh as he returned the gesture became a surprised squeak when he threw her over his shoulder and sped towards his room. Breathless laughter accompanied by demands for release stopped when Sesshomaru swatted her behind with his free hand. She was quiet for a split second, then smacked him just as hard on his butt.

"You. Better. Not. Do. That. Again!" Her threat might have been more convincing if her voice, broken and jolting because of his steps, wasn't coming from his waist.

He smacked her again, smiling at her aggravated squeal. "Be still, bitch." Ignoring her struggles and repeated assaults wherever her hands found him, he opened the door to his room and turned to lock it. Her face was bright red when he dropped her on the mattress, the color a result of hanging upside down and her vain protests against his back.

Rin rolled onto her hands and knees facing him. "See if you get any now, dog!" Hearing the amusement under her words, he didn't take offense.

"Is that a challenge, bitch?"

"What if it is?" she asked, her tone defiant.

Ah, but his dog had picked a feisty one. Sesshomaru was not a man to turn down a challenge, and he had a feeling that this petite woman would make him rue that fact eventually. For now though, he was more than pleased to be baited by her, even knowing she was purposefully trying to get a rise out of him. The dog growled in anticipation at his thought, taking the double entendre and running with it.

"I will show you who is alpha."

"Oh, will you now?" The familiar burning sensation started behind his eyes as the dog asserted itself. Sesshomaru let the dog come to the front with the admonition not to hurt the female. The dog huffed its annoyance at the unnecessary command; how stupid was it to think he would harm his mate?

With senses heightened by the demonic control, he could sense the abrupt flood of erotic incense at his changed appearance. The dog preened under her scrutiny obvious attraction and Sesshomaru felt his mouth stretch in a feral grin. "Yes. Now strip."

Her eyes widened at his rough voice. Unsurprisingly, she didn't comply with his order, but enjoyed the view when he pulled his shirt off if her roving eyes were any indication. Her breath caught when he unbuckled his belt and undid the first button of his jeans.

"Rrriiin…"

"Ye- Yes?" A pink tongue peeked out to lick parted lips. He wanted to experience everything that mouth could do, but there was time for that later. Right now, he needed to get his teeth in her, both literally and metaphorically.

Using a burst of speed, he jumped on the bed beside her, landing on his knees. "A bitch must learn to heed her alpha," he spoke against her ear. "I will not abuse your trust, so you must listen when I tell you. Now strip and let me show you what it means to love a demon."


End file.
